Evidence-Based or Just Promising? Lessons Learned in Taking Inventory of State Correctional Programming

Abstract As policy makers require more detail justifying rehabilitation expenditures, officials must take inventory on available programming and extant evidence. Unfortunately, little research can be drawn from to aid contextualizing and guiding this process. Using one state example, we report a legislative proviso which sought to investigate current and future use of correctional services. Through the lens of Risk-Needs-Responsivity, this article describes packaging research into digestible ways for policy discussions, and concludes with policy implications and guiding principles for other jurisdictions.