InnerChange Freedom Initiative (Minnesota)
Problems addressed
Effectiveness

Promising

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Promising

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Life periods served
Where the program was applied
Country of application
Description

This is a faith-based educational program to prepare incarcerated individuals for social reintegration. Participation is voluntary and includes three phases:
1) The first phase lasts 12 months and takes place in a specific gallery inside the prison unit. The foundations of “Internal Change”, cognitive and moral skills, responsibility for deviant acts, chemical dependency, and steps to avoid relapse are worked on;
2) The second phase lasts six months, with occupational and school activities and individual monitoring by tutors;
3) The third phase lasts 12 months and provides graduates with links to social and welfare services in their community of origin, access to housing benefits, and integration into the job market.

Impact evaluations

An impact assessment showed that the program contributed to a reduction in criminal recidivism. The results were more effective among those who completed all phases of the intervention. There was no statistically significant impact on the revocation of probation for technical offenses [1].

Bibliographic reference

[1] Duwe, G. & King, M. (2013). Can faith-based correctional programs work? An outcome evaluation of the innerchange freedom initiative in Minnesota. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 57(7), 813–841. https://doi.org/10.1177/0306624X12439397

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