Concordance

Study Results

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Independent Study Shows Concordance Participants Are Significantly Less Likely to Return to Prison.

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OVERVIEW

To better understand how the Concordance model performs in practice, Concordance commissioned an independent study comparing outcomes for people who participated in the program with a similar group of individuals who received standard parole supervision after release from prison.

The evaluation was conducted independently by NORC at the University of Chicago, one of the nation’s leading research organizations.

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About the Study

Conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago

NORC — the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago — is one of the country’s most respected independent research organizations. NORC conducts large-scale studies across public policy, criminal justice, health, and social programs, and their work is widely used by federal and state agencies, universities, and national foundations.

Importantly, NORC is fully independent from Concordance. That independence was a key part of the study design and helps ensure the findings are objective and grounded in data.

Key Findings

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of Concordance participants were less likley to return to prison within the first six months after release compared to individuals reciving standard parole supervision.

Across every time period measured in the study, Concordance participants consistently experienced lower rates of return to prison with statistical significance.

How the Study Works

The clearest finding from this study is that individuals who participated in Concordance consistently experienced lower return-to-prison rates across every time period measured in the study. At six months after release, 4.0% of Concordance participants had returned to prison, compared to 8.2% of individuals in the comparison group.

The impact continued over time. At 12 months, 12.4% of Concordance participants had returned to prison compared to 17.3% of the comparison group. At 24 months, return-to-prison rates remained lower for Concordance participants at 22.5%, compared to 29.7% for the comparison group.

Across every measured time point, Concordance participants demonstrated statistically significant reductions in return-to-prison rates, reinforcing the long-term impact of comprehensive re-entry support.

Why These Findings Matter

Returning to prison is one of the most serious outcomes in the justice system. It reflects challenges in the transition from incarceration back into the community and carries significant personal and community impact.

What makes these findings especially meaningful is that they reflect real-world outcomes over time. Statistically significant results are rare in quasi-experimental studies of this kind, making the findings particularly notable.

This study provides an independent look at how the Concordance model performs in practice — with real people, real conditions, and independent analysis.

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“Findings like these are especially meaningful because they reflect real-world outcomes measured over time through independent analysis. The results show that the Concordance model is having a significant impact on reducing returns to prison and improving outcomes for individuals transitioning back into the community.”

John K. Roman, Ph.D.
Director, Center on Public Safety & Justice at NORC

Learn More

This study was conducted independently by NORC at the University of Chicago and reflects the analysis and findings of the researchers based on the data available during the study period. The information presented on this page is intended for informational purposes only and is designed to provide a high-level overview of the study findings.

For full methodology, limitations, and detailed findings, please refer to the complete study report.

Read the Full Study

We would like to thank the Missouri Department of Corrections, Office of Research, Planning, and Process Improvement for their assistance in reviewing the evaluation plan and provision of the data. The opinions, findings and conclusions expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Missouri Department of Corrections.