Community justice: research and analysis

The ‘What works’ and desistance evidence base

Intervention and service design and delivery should be informed by the findings of strong and consistent international research evidence so we have posted links to the most comprehensive evidence reviews on reducing reoffending and effective practice below.

Recent 'What Works' Evidence Reviews:

• Reducing Reoffending: Effective and Promising Investments 

• What Works to Reduce Reoffending: A Summary of the Evidence – Scottish Government

• Strengthening Transnational Approaches to Reducing Reoffending – University of Cambridge

• Transforming Rehabilitation - A Summary of Evidence on Reducing Reoffending – Ministry of Justice

• Campbell Collaboration Systematic Reviews (e.g. on mentoring and prison-based drug interventions)

• Good Practice Principals in Reducing Reoffending

• Discovering Desistance McNeill et al

• Knife crime interventions: What works?                                                                   

• Who Benefits from Cognitive Skills Training? Rapid Evidence Assessment

• Intermediate Outcomes and Reoffending – Rapid Evidence Assessment

Women:

• Violence against women: Effective Interventions and Practices with Perpetrators 

• What Works for Women Offenders – Rapid Evidence Assessment

• International Review of Custodial Models for Women: Key Messages for Scotland

Best practice:

• The Quality of Probation Supervision                                                        

• 21st century Social Work: Reducing Reoffending Key Practice Skills              

Young people:

• Reducing Reoffending in Young Adults – Rapid Evidence Assessment