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An Evaluation of Seven Second Chance Act Adult Demonstration Programs: Impact Findings at 18 Months (2017)

This report describes the impacts of seven programs that were awarded grants under the Second Chance Act (SCA) Adult Demonstration Program to reduce recidivism by addressing the challenges faced by adults returning to their communities after incarceration. In estimating impacts, the evaluation used a randomized controlled trial, whereby 966 individuals eligible for SCA were randomly assigned to either a program group whose members could enroll in SCA, or a control group whose members could not enroll in SCA but could receive all other services generally available. Using survey and administrative data, each study participant was measured on a range of outcomes 18 months after random assignment.