Summary
The ReBoot program was designed to assist young people in Adelaide who are in contact with the criminal justice system and at risk of reoffending. It works with young offenders aged 14–18, their families, communities and the justice system to reduce offending and antisocial behaviours; increase engagement in education and employment; and increase engagement in structured, prosocial activities such as sport and volunteering. The program includes intensive case management, peer mentoring and a wilderness camp.The Australian Institute of Criminology was commissioned by the South Australia Attorney-General’s Department to conduct a process and outcome evaluation of the ReBoot Intensive Intervention Trial. This report describes the findings of the process and outcome evaluations. The evaluations used semi-structured interviews to obtain the views of 50 stakeholders involved in the delivery and management of the ReBoot program, 14 young people who engaged in the trial program and seven of their parents/carers. This qualitative information was supplemented by the analysis of administrative and assessment data collected by ReBoot service providers. Together, these data provide an important insight into the delivery and impact of the ReBoot program.Overall, the process evaluation findings show that the ReBoot program was largely implemented as intended, fills an important gap in service provision for young offenders in South Australia, and provides a useful option in sentencing and family conference outcomes.