Not all reentry programs or initiatives focus exclusively on individual people (clients). Many reentry initiatives also work to advance "systems change.” System-level reentry initiatives focus on changing organizational or institutional practices throughout an entire correctional system. Evaluators should take the following steps when conducting evaluations of system-level reentry interventions or initiatives:  

1. Review the logic model or strategic plan: Evaluators must clearly understand a project's scope, goals, and intended targets for system-level changes. 
2. Determine the unit of analysis: Units of analysis for system-level evaluations can include agency departments, organizations, and inter-agency collaborations. 
3. Identify the targeted system-level dimensions: Identifying the system-level dimensions (e.g., resources, policies and protocols, power and decision-making, culture and norms) will inform the choice of data collection sources and the evaluation methods. 
4. Conduct a process evaluation: Incorporate a process evaluation to document the implementation of system-level activities and identify implementation barriers.  
5. Conduct an outcome evaluation: Measure system-level outcomes; this typically involves accessing aggregate or population-level data (e.g., countywide, statewide) on recidivism. 

This research 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 essential steps for evaluating reentry interventions or initiatives that focus on systems change. 

View the brief (PDF)