Resource Brief: Best Practices for Collecting Primary Data from Reentry Populations for Program Evaluation

Program evaluations are critical to assessing the impact of programming on clients. Best practices to follow when collecting data are included in the brief;  these include the following: 

• Carefully consider what data to collect, from whom, when, and how.
• Design the data collection instrument, including listing the key constructs and identifying items and scales. 
• Develop and implement data collection protocols to minimize risk to study participants and to facilitate collection of high-quality data.  

This brief also includes an extended appendix of helpful resources, including the following: 

• Different domains (e.g., reentry experiences) and their corresponding constructs (e.g., staying clean and sober), and  
• Sample survey instruments for various domains (e.g., demographics, housing, employment, criminal history, and substance use).  

This resource brief from the Evaluation and Sustainability Training and Technical Assistance (ES TTA) team at RTI International and the Center for Justice Innovation (formerly the Center for Court Innovation) provides an overview of the best practices for collecting primary data from reentry populations for program evaluations, along with a comprehensive appendix. 

View the brief (PDF)