A systematic review by the Campbell Collaboration identified 30 studies that evaluated the impact of resocialization programs for male youth aged 12-21 years with a history of involvement in crime [1]. The interventions applied behavioral therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and educational strategies. The overall evaluation of the programs revealed an average 6% reduction in recidivism.
However, another systematic review with a meta-analysis evaluated 30 reintegration support programs for young offenders and reported mixed evidence for this type of program. Although some of the studies covered by this review identified successful experiences in terms of reducing recidivism among young offenders, the impact recorded was not statistically significant overall. Moreover, according to the Crime Reduction Toolkit platform, the effect varies according to the form of quantification used. When recidivism was measured through contact with law enforcement (re-arrest records, for example), young people who participated in the programs showed significantly lower levels of recidivism than non-participants. However, this was not the result found in those studies in which recidivism was measured through self-reports or court cases. Therefore, the aforementioned platform classifies the evidence from these interventions as “mixed” [2].
The Crime Solutions platform includes, in addition to this review, two others that found small but statistically significant impacts on recidivism [3] [4]. In light of this, this platform classifies these interventions as promising.