What Works in Reducing the Risk of Recidivism in the Maltese Context? An Evaluation of a Reintegrative Community-Based Rehabilitation Program

This quantitative study assessed the efficacy of a community-based rehabilitation program implemented by RISe Foundation Malta, designed to facilitate the reintegration of incarcerated individuals within the last 12 months before release. The intervention, grounded in the Risk-Need-Responsivity (RNR) Model and the Good Lives Model (GLM), aimed to mitigate recidivism by addressing dynamic risk factors associated with criminality. A retrospective analysis of 40 archived case files of program completers was conducted, extracting relevant data from reports to evaluate pre- and post-intervention changes. The data were analyzed using McNemar’s test in SPSS. Results revealed a significant reduction in the presence of dynamic risk factors—such as issues related to social and psychological needs—following program completion. These findings provide empirical support for the application of the RNR and GLM models in community-based rehabilitation, demonstrating their potential to effectively reduce the propensity for reoffending.