Prison Reform and Rehabilitation: What Research Shows About Recidivism and Reentry

Prison reform has gained unusual bipartisan political attention in recent years, reflecting both fiscal pressure from the costs of mass incarceration and growing recognition that high recidivism rates demonstrate the failure of punishment-focused approaches to produce the long-term public safety that they are supposed to deliver. Research on what actually reduces recidivism, what supports successful reentry, and what conditions within correctional facilities affect outcomes has grown substantially and provides guidance for policy that takes evidence seriously. Recidivism, typically defined as rearrest, reconviction, or reincarceration within a specified period following release from prison, is the primary outcome measure in correctional research. Research using administrative data from state corrections departments finds that recidivism rates are high: approximately 44 percent of released prisoners are rearrested within one year, and approximately 83 percent are rearrested within nine years, according to Bureau of Justice Statistics data. These rates reflect both the characteristics of people who are incarcerated and the conditions they return to, rather than simply the failure of individual rehabilitation programs. Cognitive-behavioral interventions delivered within correctional settings have the strongest evidence base among rehabilitative approaches for reducing recidivism. Research on CBT programs for incarcerated individuals finds that they produce significant reductions in recidivism, with meta-analyses estimating effect sizes that are modest but practically meaningful given the high baseline recidivism rates. CBT programs that address criminal thinking patterns, problem-solving skills, and interpersonal conflict management show the most consistent effects. Programs that match risk, needs, and responsivity principles, meaning they target high-risk individuals, address criminogenic needs, and use learning approaches matched to individual learning styles, produce better outcomes than those that do not follow these principles. Education and vocational training in prisons have been evaluated as tools for reducing recidivism through improved employment prospects after release. Research including RAND Corporation's large-scale evaluation of correctional education programs finds that individuals who participate in educational or vocational programs while incarcerated have significantly lower recidivism rates after release than those who do not, and that the educational benefits represent a cost-effective public safety investment. The reduction in recidivism from correctional education translates into substantial savings in reincarceration costs that exceed the costs of the educational programs. Employment after release is one of the strongest predictors of successful reentry, and barriers to employment are among the most significant challenges faced by formerly incarcerated individuals. Research on employment and recidivism finds bidirectional associations: employment reduces recidivism, and lower recidivism is associated with better employment prospects. Transitional jobs programs that provide immediate temporary employment with support services help bridge the gap between incarceration and stable private-sector employment. Research on these programs finds modest reductions in recidivism and improvements in employment outcomes in some evaluations. Housing instability after release is another major barrier to successful reentry and predictor of recidivism. Research finds that formerly incarcerated individuals face significant barriers to housing access, including formal screening policies that exclude individuals with criminal records from public housing and many private rental markets, and informal landlord discrimination. Housing instability in the period immediately following release is associated with higher rates of rearrest. Housing First models adapted for formerly incarcerated individuals, which provide housing without preconditions, show promise in research on reducing cycling between incarceration and homelessness. Substance use disorders, which are highly prevalent among incarcerated populations, require treatment continuity across the incarceration-release boundary. Research finds that individuals with substance use disorders who receive treatment within facilities and are connected to community treatment after release have significantly lower recidivism and mortality rates than those without treatment continuity. Medication for opioid use disorder, which is rarely available within correctional facilities despite strong evidence of effectiveness, is associated with dramatic reductions in overdose mortality in the period immediately following release, when tolerance is reduced and overdose risk is highest. Parole and supervised release conditions play a significant role in reentry success and recidivism. Research on parole supervision finds that intensive supervision without appropriate services can increase technical violations and reincarceration without reducing new crimes. Graduated supervision that begins with higher contact and decreases as individuals demonstrate stability, combined with access to treatment and support services, produces better outcomes than uniform intensive supervision throughout the supervision period.