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The Probation Service of England and Wales delivers three offending behavior programs designed for offenders who have committed any offense. One of the selection criteria for these programs states that offenders should have a medium-high risk of reoffending rather than low or very high risk. This article examines the appropriateness of offender allocation by risk level to these three programs in the Probation Service. There was significant variation in allocation performance by Probation Area and program. Appropriateness of allocation was associated with program completion. Very high-risk offenders were more likely to not start a program that they had been allocated to and more likely to not complete a program once they had started. Appropriateness of allocation also affected reconviction independently of program completion status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the impact on reconviction of appropriate allocation to three general offending behavior programs involving adult male offenders in the English and Welsh Probation Service. Appropriate allocation was defined by level of risk for recon- viction. There were three allocation groups: too low, appropriate, and too high. Using a quasi-experimental design, the reconviction rates of offenders who were allocated to and completed a program, offenders allocated to a program who failed to start, and a comparison group were compared. It was found that the appropriateness of allocation affected reconviction independently of treatment group. Furthermore, in line with the risk principle, there was an interaction between treatment group and the appropriateness of allocation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents the findings of an evaluation of the effect on reconviction of three general offending behavior programs involving adult male offenders in the English and Welsh Probation Service. Using a quasi-experimental design controlling for population factors, there was no difference in the reconviction rates of offenders allocated to programs and a comparison group. Offenders who completed a program had a lower rate of reconviction compared to the nonstarter, noncompleter, and comparison groups. A range of explanations for this “completion effect” is discussed, particularly with regard to the emerging literature on readiness to change. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]