DOC presents evidence‑based programming data; recidivism lower for completers, women’s pathways show larger gains

The Massachusetts Department of Correction told the Special Commission on Corrections Consolidation and Collaboration that its evidence‑based, risk‑need‑responsivity (RNR) programming shows measurable reductions in recidivism in the DOC’s most recent 1‑year studies.

“Kyle Pelletier” (identified in the meeting as the DOC’s director of strategic initiatives) said the department requires vendors bidding on recidivism‑reduction programs to provide evidence‑based services and that recidivism studies measure outcomes against definable, auditable standards.

Nut graf: The DOC presented recidivism comparisons showing lower 1‑year reconviction rates for people who completed core programs tied to identified needs. The department also highlighted a gender‑responsive “pathways” model at MCI Framingham that the DOC reported yielded especially low 1‑year recidivism for women who completed 26 weeks of treatment.

The department’s slide deck and discussion made several points about how it defines and measures program success: it distinguishes risk‑reduction “programs” (education, violence reduction, criminal‑thinking interventions, vocational, substance‑use programming such as the Correctional Recovery Academy) from clinical “treatment” services, and it uses actuarial assessments (the Compass instrument) on admission to identify RNR needs.

On outcomes, the DOC reported that among people identified with an RNR need for violence reduction or anger management, those who did not have the need met recidivated at about 14.5 percent at one year versus 10.9 percent for those who completed the intervention. For substance‑use needs, the DOC reported a 1‑year recidivism rate of roughly 7.6 percent for those whose need was met via its Correctional Recovery Academy (CRA) compared with higher rates for those who did not complete such interventions.

Deputy Commissioner Mitzi Peterson described the women’s “pathways” approach, which bundles trauma‑informed, gender‑responsive services and allows extended enrollment so program participants may take education, treatment and vocational courses simultaneously. She said a 26‑week treatment dosage is the department’s benchmark for measuring a meaningful completion in that model and reported a 1‑year recidivism rate of 4.4 percent for women who engaged for a minimum of 26 weeks.

The DOC also presented standing‑population snapshot metrics (a single‑date view): it reported 2,003 current enrollments in RNR programming as of late August and said those enrollments represented about 1,642 unique individuals (some people participate in multiple programs). The department said roughly 60 percent of men in the population were identified with a substance‑use need, 41 percent with criminal thinking needs and 48 percent with a violence‑reduction need; of those subgroups the DOC reported varying completion or engagement rates and noted some people are awaiting an opportunity to participate.

Commissioners pressed for clarity on denominators, who is counted as “need met,” and how voluntary participation and competing obligations (work crews, release‑work schedules) affect completion. Commissioner Jenkins and staff described annual classification reviews and individualized program plans that can affect placement, security level and pre‑release eligibility.

Ending: The DOC said it will supply the commission with more detailed release‑cohort data and clarified the distinction between clinical treatment and RNR programs. The commission did not take formal action; members requested additional follow‑up analytics to support policy recommendations.