An Evaluation of the NJSPB SCF Project for Opioid-Involved High-Risk Parolees

An Evaluation of the New Jersey State Parole Board Swift, Certain, and Fair Project for Opioid-Involved High-Risk Parolees

This study entails an evaluation of the New Jersey State Parole Board Swift, Certain, and Fair (SCF) Supervision Program. The purpose of the evaluation is to test whether subjects assigned to SCF Supervision perform better than those assigned to parole-as-usual (PAU).

The Swift, Certain, and Fair (SCF) Supervision Program - Including Project HOPE Program provides funding to states, units of local government, territories, and federally recognized Indian tribes (as determined by the Secretary of the Interior) in an effort to enhance public safety, foster collaboration, and to improve the outcomes of individuals under the supervision of community corrections. The goals of this program are to develop and enhance SCF initiatives and implement the SCF model with fidelity, resulting in reduced recidivism and better outcomes for program participants. SCF approaches are intended to: (a) improve supervision strategies that reduce recidivism; (b) promote and increase collaboration among agencies and officials who work in community corrections and related fields to enhance swift and certain sanctions; (c) enhance the offenders' perception that the supervision decisions are fair, consistently applied, and consequences are transparent; and (d) improve the outcomes of individuals participating in these initiatives. The grantee will use awarded grant funds to support programming that provides services to up to 75 opioid involved parolees with services to divert them from a return to prison and manage underlying addictions with a combination of behavioral therapy and medication assisted treatments. The program combines sanctions with targeted reentry and treatment services.

SCF Supervision entails a warning session (Orientation Hearing) where the rules of parole are laid out and parolees are told that any violation of stated parole conditions will be sanctioned with a brief jail term (typically a few days in jail). SCF Supervision includes regular random drug testing.

Inclusion Criteria: Participants must be 18 years of age or older Participants must have a history of opioid use or addiction Participants have a history of parole violations or active parolees who are at risk for violation (this can include anyone who is reentering the active population from prison) Participants reside in or are moving to Ocean County; and Participants must have at least 6 months remaining on their Parole term Exclusion Criteria: -