Download the PDF Attrition from Jail Reentry Program Increases Recidivism for free.
This peer-reviewed article examines the impact of attrition on the effectiveness of a jail reentry program aimed at reducing recidivism in the United States. While most evaluations focus solely on recidivism rates of successful program completers, Kevin Anderson and William Medendorp argue that attrition, or the dropout rate from the program, is an essential supplementary measure. The program in question utilized peer navigators in an attempt to reduce attrition, employing them as program staff to assist participants in accessing support services upon their release from jail.
The study employs various statistical methods, including general linear models, Mahalanobis distance matching, and panel regression, to predict attrition and compare recidivism outcomes among three groups: program completers, program quitters, and matched controls. The results indicate that participants who successfully completed the program did not demonstrate significantly different recidivism rates compared to matched controls. However, participants who quit the program experienced significantly higher rates of conviction and reincarceration compared to matched controls. Greater contacts with the Peer Navigators in the first 3 months of the program significantly reduced the likelihood of attrition.
Their research suggest that considering attrition rates alongside recidivism outcomes provides a more comprehensive understanding of program effectiveness. They recommend that other reentry programs take into account attrition as a differential factor in their evaluations to gain a fuller picture of their results.
