What are the features of effective prison-based programmes for reducing recidivism?

Researchers, practitioners, and policy-makers are concerned that recidivism rates remain high among prisoners released from custody. Prison-based programmes have been introduced amid recognition that incarceration as a standalone intervention does not work in reducing post-release recidivism. However, it is not clear what features of these programmes are evidence-based for effectiveness. The present chapter draws together findings from recent ‘systematic reviews’ of prison-based programmes. By adopting a transparent approach to study inclusion and results synthesis, systematic reviews have been influential in distilling evidence-based practice in crime and justice, as in medicine. Recent reviews were found in the following areas: substance-misuse programmes, educational and vocational programmes, cognitive-behavioural treatment for general violence and aggression, and programmes for reducing sexual recidivism. The pattern of results, within and between offence-specific areas, has implications for modernising custodial environments and for implementing prison services.