Abstract
In spite of the proliferation of correctional programs which match offenders and volunteers in a "helping relationship," very little research has been done on the outcome effectiveness of these programs. This quasi-experimental study compared the postprogram recidivism of 107 program participants with a group of offenders eligible for the program but not matched with a volunteer, and with a randomly selected group of offenders. The results indicate that, when compared with the performance of the control groups, the postprogram recidivism of white offenders in the experimental group is reduced following participation, while the postprogram recidivism of black experimental group members is increased.
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