Drug Court Evaluation Documents Program's Success, Data Download, Iowa Department of Corrections, August 2009

The Division of Criminal and Juvenile Justice Planning (CJJP) recently released its study of Iowa’s six adult drug courts, all of which are administered by community corrections agencies. Making heavy use of DOC’s ICON data base, CJJP examined completion rates, recidivism and substance abuse treatment. CJJP also compared drug court results with those of a group of offenders who were screened and declined or were rejected by drug court in 2003 (referred) and a sample of offenders starting probation in 2003 (probationers). CJJP tracked the offenders for approximately three years.

IWD to Study the Effect of Prison Education on Employment, Data Download, Iowa Department of Corrections, February 2009

The Iowa Department of Corrections recently entered into a data sharing agreement with Iowa Workforce Development (IWD), the purpose of which is to better ascertain the effect of prison education on postprison employment. This study is important because the DOC partners with community colleges to provide prison-based education, with a goal of increasing the numbers of inmates completing GEDs. We are demonstrating success toward that goal, but what we lack is empirical evidence showing the level of success that Iowa prison education programs have on Iowa offenders’ employment success upon their return to communities here in the state.