Moral Reconation Therapy for People on Federal Probation: Determining Program Efficacy and Importance as a Measure in Reducing Rates of Recidivism

Moral reconation therapy (MRT) is one form of cognitive-behavioral treatment that has been implemented in institutionalized settings to rehabilitate justice-involved individuals. However, the efficacy of this program in reducing recidivism has not been widely assessed for people on federal probation. This study collected data on 1080 people on probation from one federal district. Half of the participants ( n = 540) had participated in MRT, while the other 540 participated in probation-as-usual. Contrary to much of the extant literature on MRT, results from this study indicate that participation in MRT does not significantly reduce the likelihood of recidivism. Individuals who participated in MRT and did not complete it had a higher likelihood of recidivism relative to those who were under probation-as-usual. In addition, individuals who successfully completed MRT did not have a lower likelihood of recidivism relative to those under probation-as-usual.