Publication

 May 2023

Restoring Promise: A Randomized Control Trial Examining the Impact of an Innovative Young Adult Housing on Reducing Violence

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Overview

Restoring Promise, an initiative of the Vera Institute of Justice, works with departments of corrections to transform prison housing units for young adults so that they are grounded in dignity. This report details a study that evaluated the Restoring Promise program’s effects on violence and misconduct among young adults in a large and challenging correctional system as well as its applicability to different correctional environments, including rural and urban settings, jails and prisons, and facilities housing men and women.

Key Takeaway

Findings from a randomized controlled trial (RCT) conducted in prisons in South Carolina found that Restoring Promise’s approach to culture change in prisons significantly reduces violence and the use of solitary confinement. Findings from the cross-site analysis suggest that Restoring Promise can adapt its approach and yield similar impacts across diverse settings.

Key Facts

Compared to those housed in the general population, living in a Restoring Promise unit decreased young adults' odds of receiving a violent infraction by 73 percent.
Living in a Restoring Promise unit reduced young adults' odds of experiencing a stay in a restrictive housing unit by 83 percent.
Across 5 units in 3 states, young adults and staff reported positive experiences resulting from the changes to prison culture implemented by Restoring Promise.