Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management

As an increasingly popular post-release criminal justice intervention, Residential Recovery Centers (RRC) have been documented as an effective approach to reducing drug use and recidivism as well as promoting successful community reintegration (Latessa & Allen, 1982; Shilton et al., 2010; DOJ, 2016 ). While rigorous research on recidivism has been mixed, a large body of evidence suggests the positive effects of RRCs outweigh the costs, particularly for high-risk offenders (Lowencamp & Latessa, 2004; ; Lowenkamp, Latessa, & Holsinger, 2006; Andrews et al., 1990; Sperber et al., 2013). However, established research has focused on impacts associated with traditional 12 to 24-month residential models. In an increasingly competitive political and fiscal policy environment, many states and local justice authorities have moved to funding short-term (3 to 6-month) interventions for high risk offenders, without substantial research to support their effectiveness (McCusker et al., 1995; McCusker et al., 2997; Nemes,1999; Brunette et al., 2001). This study explores the impact of a single short-term RRC model in rural Virginia. The state-licensed program offers a 90-day intervention in which participants progress through a semi-traditional therapeutic communities approach. Data were collected from three years of program records (2016-2018), across all enrolled program participants (n=338). Researchers employ a quasi-experimental design, utilizing weighted propensity score matching to isolate equivalent comparison groups based on the sequential intercept model. Results are presented on program retention, abstinence, and other critical proximal RRC outcomes. Findings from this research offer new insights into the differential program effects of the short-term RRC model. This research was initiated as a community engaged project with the graduate students in the James Madison University Master of Public Administration program.