An evaluation of a brief intervention to reduce re-offending among women serving short sentences

This document describes an evaluation of two related interventions aimed at reducing reoffending among women serving short sentences in an English prison. The first program focused on improving future orientation, self-efficacy, self-esteem, and resettlement planning through goal-setting tasks and peer support, while the second policy assessed reoffending rates through a reconviction analysis. The evaluation of the first program, conducted via a randomized control trial, found that it did not significantly impact future orientation, self-efficacy, or self-esteem, but did enhance resettlement planning and slightly reduced reoffending rates up to 18 months post-release. Key factors influencing reoffending included accommodation, family contact, substance use, and education/training/employment. The second policy evaluation, which compared reoffending and reconviction rates between an experimental group and a control group, showed no significant differences, although there was a suggestion that the experimental condition might slow the rate of reoffending. Overall, the evaluations concluded that the interventions had a modest effect on reoffending and emphasized the importance of ongoing support for women transitioning from prison to the community. **This summary was written by an AI model and therefore should not be considered a definitive summary of the report. If you are aware of inaccuracies, please email evaluation.registry@cabinetoffice.gov.uk.**

Description

• Lead department: HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS)
• Evaluation stage: A complete evaluation report
• Other departments: Ministry of Justice (MOJ)
• Evaluation types: Impact evaluation
• Impact methods: Randomised control trial (RCT)
• RCT methods: No RCT methods listed
• Grant information: This intervention is not distributing funding via a grant
• Government Major Project information: This intervention is not a major project
• Policies: No policies provided

Event Dates

• Event Name: Publication of final results
• Event date: 2021

Evaluation Costs

• Cost: Not provided

Evaluation sharing

• Link(s) to published report(s): Yes
• Links to evaluation plans: No link provided
• Findings: Not provided
• Permission to share confirmed: Yes