TakeTWO Reentry
What is Take TWO?
Take TWO (Transitional Work Opportunity) began in 2019 as a work release program. Eligible incarcerated adults had the opportunity to work in the private sector during their incarceration, earning prevailing market wages and working within the community. Take TWO enabled participants to save larger amounts of money to help pay restitution, have a better chance to secure housing upon release, and increase stability post-incarceration. Participants in this program were carefully screened for eligibility, then interviewed and hired by private employers. We have had numerous inmates that have successfully participated in and benefitted from the Take TWO program prior to their release, and DOC remains committed to helping inmates re-enter society with the skills necessary to succeed. We are currently evaluating the best options for effective reentry programs moving forward and, at this time, the Take TWO program is on a pause while we review and update eligibility criteria and logistics challenges
Who was Eligible to Participate?
Colorado Department of Corrections screened applicants for admission into Take TWO. People must have been within 24 months of their Parole Eligibility Date or 36 months of their Mandatory Release Date, and they must have been deemed low or moderate risk on their risk assessments. Candidates with crimes of violence (CoV) were ineligible. Candidates had typically earned their GED or high school diploma, had previous work experience, and had completed other programming within the Department of Corrections. Candidates had a record of good behavior within the Department of Corrections and also passed medical and psychological screenings.
Once screened by the Department of Corrections, Take TWO participants were selected by employers; who interviewed them as they interviewed all other potential employees.
Is there any Data Suggesting Take TWO was Successful?
Table 1: Intermediate Outcomes
| Total Take TWO Participants | Participants |
|---|---|
| Completed Program & Released from Prison | 174 |
| Quit, Terminated, or Fired | 97 |
| Walk Away | 1 |
| Total | 272 |
Over the course of three years, 272 people have moved through the Take TWO program. Approximately 97 (35 percent) quit, were terminated from the program, or were fired by employers from the program before their release from prison. A further 174 (63 percent) completed the program and were released from prison. One person (.0036% of participants) walked away from the employer work site and was terminated from the program.
As of June 1, 2022, Take TWO Program participants have paid $273,501 in victim restitution and court fees, in addition to the wages earned that were saved for release or sent home to family members.
Colorado Department of Corrections’ Office of Planning and Analysis has conducted a review of Take TWO’s impact on recidivism. Because the program is new, there are very few participants who have been out of prison long enough in order for DOC to conduct a reasonable recidivism analysis. However, the preliminary information on the program is promising.
In their analysis, participation in Take TWO is defined as earning money and working for a Take TWO employer for at least 30 days. A total of 49 Take TWO participants were released during calendar year (CY) 2020, with 35 who were paroled or discharged directly from Take TWO and 14 who quit or were terminated from the program. Of the 49 participants who released in 2020, 2 returned to prison or inmate status in Colorado within one year, yielding a return rate of 4.1%. This is a 53 percent reduction on the one-year return rate for that year for the DOC population as a whole, which was 8.8 percent. Table 2 shows the number of participants, number of returns, and return rate for each reason for leaving Take TWO.
Table 2: One Year Return Rate for Take TWO Participants
| Reason for Leaving | Participants | Returns | 1 Year Return Rate |
| Paroled | 26 | 0 | 0 |
| Discharged | 9 | 1 | 11.1% |
| Paroled/Discharged Subtotal | 35 | 1 | 2.9% |
| Quit | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Terminated | 14 | 1 | 11.1% |
| Quit/Terminated Subtotal | 14 | 1 | 7.1% |
| Total Take TWO Participants | 49 | 2 | 4.1% |
| CDOC 1-Year Return Rate 2020 | 8.8% |