Boston (Massachusetts) Reentry Initiative (BRI)
Problems addressed
Recidivism
Violent crimes
Effectiveness

Promising

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Promising

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Life periods served
Adults (18 to 59 years)
Where the program was applied
Prisons or socio-educational residential centers
Country of application
United States
Description

This is an inter-institutional public safety initiative that helps former prisoners who are at the highest risk of committing violent crimes to transition from prison to their neighborhoods. The aim of the program is to reduce recidivism among recently released high-risk violent offenders by offering guidance, case management, social assistance, and vocational development.

Impact evaluations

An impact evaluation showed that, after 3 years, 77.8% of program participants had been arrested for some type of crime compared to 87.7% of the control group; 27.8% of participants were arrested for a violent crime compared to 39.2% of the control group. There was a 32.1% reduction in the total time until being arrested for any crime and a 37.1% reduction in violent crime [1].

Bibliographic reference

[1] Braga, A. A., Piehl, A. M. & Hureau, D. (2009). Controlling Violent Offenders Released to the Community: An Evaluation of the Boston Reentry Initiative. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 46(4), 411–436. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022427809341935

Information source