Moral Reconation Therapy® – MRT has been researched extensively and its results documented over the past three decades. A selection of MRT research and citations appears here.
Monroe Court Program Helps Domestic Violence Offenders Break the Cycle
Published by Snohomish County Tribune Newspapers
Monroe Municipal Court has adopted Domestic Violence, Moral Reconation Therapy-MRT ® to help reduce repeat offenses among individuals convicted of domestic violence. This evidence-based program is designed to reframe thinking patterns, strengthen moral reasoning, and build healthier relationship skills—offering lower-cost alternative to traditional domestic violence treatment.
Using the Finding Peace in Relationships workbook, participants attend weekly group sessions, complete structured homework, and tackle topics such as power and control, the cycle of violence, and stress management.
In 2024, seven participants graduated from the Monroe program. Research from the Washington Supreme Court Gender and Justice Commission shows that Domestic Violence, Moral Reconation Therapy-MRT® significantly lowers reconviction rates and supports long-term behavior change. Read more
Evaluation of Washington State Domestic Violence – Moral Reconation Therapy (DV-MRT) Programs Process and Outcomes
Published by Washington State University
Researchers evaluated Domestic Violence, Moral Reconation Therapy-MRT ®program in King and Snohomish counties, Washington, to assess their impact on repeat offending among justice-involved individuals. Designed to strengthen moral reasoning, improve decision making, and promote positive behavioral change, Domestic Violence, Moral Reconation Therapy-MRT ® offers a more affordable alternative to traditional domestic interventions while maintaining evidence-based standards.
Using a quasi-experimental design with a matched historical comparison group, the analysis found that Domestic Violence, Moral Reconation Therapy-MRT ® participants had lower one-year reconviction rates for domestic violence (8.4% vs. 12.5%) and slightly reduced rates at two years (14.9% vs 19.0%). Read more
A Meta-Analysis of Moral Reconation Therapy®
Published by Sage Publications
This study reports on a meta-analysis of moral reconation therapy (MRT). Recipients of MRT included adult and juvenile offenders who were in custody or in the community, typically on parole or probation. The study considered criminal offending subsequent to treatment as the outcome variable. The overall effect size measured by the correlation across 33 studies and 30,259 offenders was significant (r = .16), indicating that MRT had a small but important effect on recidivism. Read more (PDF)
Virginia Adult Drug Treatment Court Cost-Benefit Analysis
Published by the National Center for State Courts
The critical finding from the first report was that drug court participants in the sample were significantly less likely to reactivate than the carefully matched “business-as-usual” comparison group and that this reduction in recidivism was a robust and sustained effect. Read more (PDF)
The Effect of Moral Reconation Therapy® on Adolescents in a Group Home Setting
Graduate-Student Thesis Presented to Western Carolina University Faculty by Ashley Jean Evans
Moral Reconation Therapy (MRT) is a cognitive-behavioral group therapy, designed to rehabilitate offenders and reduce recidivism. The current study explores the effects of Moral Reconation Therapy on adolescents in a group home setting. Participants included 15 adolescents between the ages of 13 and 17, residing in a group home in the
Southeastern region of the United States. The Behavior Assessment System for Children, Second Edition (BASC-2) was used as a pre-test and post-test measure to assess participants’ self-reported changes in Locus of Control, Social Stress, Anxiety, Depression, Sense of Inadequacy, Sensation Seeking, Relations with Parents, Interpersonal Relations, Self-Esteem and Self-Reliance. Overall results indicated that significant changes existed between pre-test and post-test measures in the areas of Locus of Control, Depression and Relations with Parents. Read more (PDF)
Evaluation of the Moral Reconation Therapy (MRT) Program at the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services
Nebraska Center for Justice Research University of Nebraska, Omaha 2018
This project evaluated the Moral Reconation Therapy (MRT) program that is used in the Nebraska
Department of Correctional Services (NDCS). The goals of the project were to provide feedback to
NDCS regarding: 1. The NDCS facilities that successfully provide MRT services to inmates; 2.
Whether MRT participation reduces institutional misconducts and recidivism among inmates; 3.
Whether MRT program participation is related to inmates’ participation in other types of
programming; and 4. The characteristics of inmates who participate in and complete MRT
programming. Read more (PDF).
