Focus on rehab, not jail time, for lasting change

GEO Reentry works with state and county correctional agencies nationwide to operate day reporting centers and other community corrections programs. At these centers, GEO Reentry delivers cognitive behavioral programming, with the goal of rehabilitating offenders by changing criminal behavior and preparing them to lead crime-free lives in the community. This treatment helps reduce recidivism rates and ultimately saves taxpayers money by alleviating jail crowding.

In an examination of the prison population in the United States, as well as recidivism rates in various states, statistics support the effectiveness of programs that focus on rehabilitation and treatment. For example, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, Oregon has the lowest recidivism rate, with less than 23 percent of inmates released in 2004 re-incarcerated by 2007. This success can be, in part, attributed to the alternatives to incarceration Oregon has instituted for nonviolent offenders.

In the 90s, the state allowed corrections officers more flexibility in managing non-serious, nonviolent offenses. Then in 2003, the state required correctional treatment facilities to implement practices proven to reduce recidivism—such as treatment and reentry programs—in order to obtain state funding.

In working with state and county agencies across the country, GEO Reentry professionals have seen firsthand the difference rehabilitation and treatment can make in the lives of inmates, the communities they live in, and the correctional facilities where they are housed. These programs use proven methods to change criminal behavior and greatly reduce the risk of offenders returning to crime upon their release. Learn more about GEO Reentry and the programs it provides.