For a full look at my findings and policy implications, check out my paper maddalenatotarelli.github.io/Totarelli_JM.... 8/8

My work suggests that when prisons focus on rehabilitation, they can reduce criminal behavior and support meaningful social reintegration. 7/8

Key findings: the R&R program reduces recidivism by 4.5 percentage points (a 14% reduction) three years post-release.
The program also increases earnings, though only for native and older prisoners, and enhances stable housing and personal relationships. 6/8

Using a difference-in-differences approach, I compare eligible inmates (sentences of 4+ months) with non-eligible ones. This allows me to isolate the program’s impact on recidivism, labor market outcomes and social outcomes like stable housing and personal relationships. 5/8

The Rehabilitation & Reintegration (R&R) program, launched at the end of 2007, combines job skills training, education, addiction management, and aggression regulation. Counselors work with inmates to develop tailored reintegration plans. 4/8

Prison rehabilitation programs typically offer vocational training, education, and behavioral therapy to lower recidivism, but do they work? Findings are mixed, and the mechanisms remain unclear. My paper examines their impact in Dutch prisons. 3/8

Former prisoners face significant challenges when reentering society: they often encounter discrimination in the labor market, difficulties in securing stable housing, and limited social support. Without adequate help, the risk of recidivism is high. 2/8