Research Reports

Over a two-year period (2015-2017), UCJC conducted evidence-based program evaluations and provided technical assistance to contracted providers serving probationers under Utah’s Drug Offender Reform Act (DORA) and Local Substance Abuse Authority (LSAA) sites. Programs were assessed using the Correctional Program Checklist (CPC), which was developed by the University of…

The Community Connection Center (CCC) was created by the Salt Lake City Police Department (SLCPD) in 2016 to “provide a safe environment for people to access individualized care, support, and appropriate community resources.” In 2017, UCJC evaluated the program to determine if it was meeting its intended goals.

UCJC conducted a study regarding the efficacy of Utah's mental health courts (MHCs). In Phase 1 (2014-2015), we studied 43 MHCs across the United States, Australia, and Canada. In Phase 2 (2017-2018), we assessed the efficacy of Utah's MHCs using a matched sample of individuals with similar treatment and criminal histories. This report provides details on the programs, participants, eligibility criteria, and methods/outcomes used . . .

In June 2012, Utah’s Department of Workforce Services (DWS), in partnership with Montana’s Department of Labor, was awarded a Workforce Innovation Fund Grant from the U.S. Department of Labor to carry out the consortium’s “Next Generation Labor Exchange (GenLEX)” initiative. The University of Utah’s Social Research Institute (SRI) was awarded the contract to serve as the third-party evaluator. This included providing a research design and statistical analysis for the evaluation of three sets of LEX test components introduced through the GenLEX project.

Conducting structured risk assessments with offenders is valuable but expensive. Brief risk assessments are less time- and resource-intensive but can allow criminal justice entities to determine which individuals are low-risk vs which should receive a comprehensive risk assessment. In UCJC's 2014-2015 study, we evaluated brief instruments that predict general and violent recidivism, failure to appear, and technical violations. . .