In the first six months after being released from prison, adults who participated in the Returning Citizens Stimulus (RCS) program, which provides cash assistance reentry support, had better outcomes than people who did not participate in the program. The participants had fewer parole violations than the comparison group. Participants were also less likely to violate parole by committing violent infractions such as assault and battery. The researchers concluded that the RCS program appears to reduce recidivism among participants….

….These findings were presented in Support for the Journey Home: An Impact Study of the Returning Citizens Stimulus Program, by Megan Schwartz for MDRC. The goal was to estimate the effect of a largescale monetary supplementation program on recidivism outcomes. The Center for Employment Opportunities contracted with MDRC to conduct an evaluation of the RCS program. The researchers analyzed administrative data provided by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. The data included participant demographics, incarcerations, and parole violations….

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