Marion County Reentry Court Program Assessment January 2005 through September 2008

Abstract

The Marion County Reentry Court (MCRC or the Court) was established in 2005 as an effort to provide a comprehensive approach to prisoner reentry, consisting of intensive criminal justice supervision accompanied by substance abuse treatment and an array of multi-faceted support services. In the fall of 2007, MCRC contracted with the CCJR to conduct a baseline program assessment and in particular, to compare participant profiles between the initial two years of the program and roughly the last year during Judge José Salinas’s tenure and associated Court program modifications. This report summarizes the findings of the MCRC program assessment that includes a program participant profile (by cohort) that covered analysis of demographic variables, criminal history, participant instant offenses, prior convictions, length of sentence, time served, and conditions of release (probation or parole). Research efforts also involved examination of participant progress through phased benchmarks, analysis of drug screens administered and positive results, sanctions administered and incentives offered by the Court, as well as new offense data.