Evaluating the Minnesota Comprehensive Offender Reentry Plan (MCORP): Results from a Randomized Experiment

Abstract

Using a randomized experimental design, this study evaluated the effectiveness of the Minnesota Comprehensive Offender Reentry Plan (MCORP), an offender reentry pilot project implemented in 2008. In an effort to reduce recidivism, MCORP attempted to increase offender access to community services and programming by producing greater case management collaboration between caseworkers in prison and supervision agents in the community. The results showed that MCORP significantly improved employment rates, decreased homelessness, broadened offenders' systems of social support, and increased the extent to which offenders participated in community support programming (mentoring, restorative justice services, and faith-based programming). The findings further revealed that MCORP significantly reduced all three types of reoffending (rearrest, reconviction, and new offense reincarcerations) but did not have a significant impact on supervision revocations for technical violations. The evidence suggests that MCORP was effective in decreasing reoffending largely because it increased the extent to which offenders were employed, involved in community support programming, and able to develop systems of social support.

Prison Programs to Reduce Recidivism: What is the Ideal Structure of an Inmate Reentry Program?

“…Static factors include age, gender, race and criminal history; dynamic factors are factor that change, including criminogenic needs (substance abuse, antisocial lifestyles), personal distress (anxiety, depression, schizophrenia) and social achievement (marital status, level of education, and employment). These dynamic factors have a strong association with recidivism risk (Duwe, 2012). Decreasing recidivism is an important part of the reentry process, but it does not include other relevant factors, such as the emotional and psychosocial state of the inmates (Mitchell et.…”

“…Implemented in 2008, MCORP begun the reentry process the moment inmates entered the correctional facility and enhanced the service delivery by increasing the extent to which offender's access employment, housing, and programing in the community (Duwe, 2012). Grant Duwe (2012) Society Grants and Awards, and Animal Concerns.…”

“…Implemented in 2008, MCORP begun the reentry process the moment inmates entered the correctional facility and enhanced the service delivery by increasing the extent to which offender's access employment, housing, and programing in the community (Duwe, 2012). Grant Duwe (2012) Society Grants and Awards, and Animal Concerns. These latter grants are not specific to correctional facilities but are to the wellbeing of animals and showing that they will also benefit other community members will increase the chances of obtaining them (James, 2015).…”

“…Adoption fees are a source of revenue too (Huss, 2013 (Duwe, 2012). Implemented in 2008, MCORP begun the reentry process the moment inmates entered the correctional facility and enhanced the service delivery by increasing the extent to which offender's access employment, housing, and programing in the community (Duwe, 2012).…”

“…In 2007 the Minnesota legislature allocated $1.9 million in state funds to implement the Minnesota Comprehensive Offender Reentry Plan (MCORP) (Duwe, 2012).…”