Convicts who complete a Maui-based reintegration program are less likely to commit another crime compared to those who did not participate in a re-entry program, according to a recent study.

A federally funded study of 156 people determined that participants in the Being Empowered and Safe Together or BEST program were less likely than nonparticipants to be arrested for a new crime. Some of the study's results include:

» 41 percent of participants were arrested for a new offense or violated their supervision terms compared to 56 percent of nonparticipants.

» 24 percent of program participants were convicted of a new crime compared to 42 percent of nonparticipants.

» High-risk participants had a 47 percent recidivism rate compared to 88 percent of nonparticipants.

Experts conducted the study between June 2003 and June 2007. Seventy-eight people were program participants and the other 78 were nonparticipants.

The study also looked at the cost benefits of the program and, based on the control group, found that the state saved about $1.76 million by using the re-entry program. The cost benefits included incarceration costs, processing and victimization costs.

Marilyn Brown, principal investigator of the study, pointed out that little research is done to determine the effectiveness of re-entry programs in the state.

“;We don't know if No. 1, if they're working to reduce recidivism and crime without these sorts of studies. Are they cost effective?”; she asked. Brown, assistant professor of sociology at the University of Hawaii at Hilo, also said it's possible that some programs may not benefit offenders. “;Unless you have a scientific evaluation, you don't know. Some initiatives can be harmful and cause higher recidivism,”; she said.

Public safety officials are looking into whether funding is available to research existing re-entry programs.

“;Reintegration is not just about assisting people into re-entering the community. It really is a way of enhancing public safety,”; Brown said. “;If we can assist people to successfully re-enter into the community and remain crime-free, that increases everyone's public safety.”;