Research and Citations

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.

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MRT Research Articles

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)


More Research Articles About MRT

MRT Studies

20-Year Recidivism Results for MRT-Treated Offenders: A Preliminary AnalysisJournal of Community Corrections (PDF)

A Meta-Analysis of Moral Reconation® Therapy, International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology (PDF)

Evaluation of the Moral Reconation Therapy (MRT) at the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services, Nebraska Center for Justice Research
University of Nebraska, Omaha 2018 (PDF)

Moral Reconation Therapy: Efficacy and Predictors of Dropout, Amber Maiwold, Antioch University New England (PDF)

Meta-Analysis of Moral Reconation Therapy® Recidivism Results From Probation and Parole ImplementationsGregory L. Little, Ed.D., NCP, LPC; Advanced Training Associates (PDF)

A Quantitative Review of Structured, Group-Oriented, Cognitive-Behavioral Programs for OffendersAmerican Association for Correctional Psychology (PDF)

Review Of One- to Three-Year Recidivism Of Felony Offenders Treated With MRT® In Prison SettingsGregory L. Little, Ed.D., NCP, LPC (PDF)

Recidivism Outcome Research On Moral Reconation Therapy® In Prison-Based Therapeutic Communities: page 1
A Comprehensive Review, Gregory L. Little, Ed.D. & Kenneth D. Robinson, Ed.D. (PDF)

Recidivism Outcome Research On Moral Reconation Therapy® In Prison-Based Therapeutic Communities: page 2
A Comprehensive Review, Gregory L. Little, Ed.D. & Kenneth D. Robinson, Ed.D. (PDF)

Outcome Study on the Tennessee Prison for Women Therapeutic Community Program Utilizing Moral Reconation Therapy®Correctional Counseling Inc. and Advanced Training Associates (PDF)

Effects of Moral Reconation Therapy® on Female Felony Offenders in a Prison-Based Therapeutic
Community, Correctional Counseling Inc. and Advanced Training Associates (PDF)

Treating Juvenile Offenders and At-Risk Youth With MRT®: Comprehensive Review of Outcome Literature, Gregory L. Little (PDF)

Treating Youthful Offenders with Moral Reconation Therapy®: A Recidivism and Pre- Post-test AnalysisCorrectional Counseling Inc. and Advanced Training Associates (PDF)

Nobody Is Better Than You: Opportunistic Moral Identity of Sexual Batterers, Psychology and Law: Research for Practice (PDF)

Utilization of Community Corrections Centers Statistical Report, Fiscal Year 2019 The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Trial Court, Office of Community Corrections (PDF)