The evaluation of Reclaiming Futures by the Urban Institute and Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago conducted between 2003 and 2008 suggested Reclaiming Futures is a promising strategy for improving interventions for youth. Researchers worked with Reclaiming Futures communities and the initiative's National Program Office to evaluate the impact of the initiative and to examine selected policy and practice issues as they emerged within each site. One of the key strategies of the initiative was to work with each site as it developed and then implemented the Reclaiming Futures Model. Results from the project were released through a series of reports beginning in 2007.

The Urban Institute and Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago conducted biannual surveys in 10 communities participating in the Reclaiming Futures initiative. The surveys measured the quality of the juvenile justice and substance abuse treatment system. Most of the quality indicators measured by the evaluation improved significantly during the course of the Reclaiming Futures initiative. In some communities, nearly all of the indicators showed marked improvement. More information is in the following report:

Changing Systems: Outcomes from the RWJF Reclaiming Futures Initiative on Juvenile Justice and Substance Abuse

The national evaluation also measured changes in agency relationships by conducting a social network analysis in eight of the first 10 Reclaiming Futures communities. The study found that overall network strength had increased over time. More information is in the following report:

Agency Relations: Social Network Dynamics and the RWJF Reclaiming Futures Initiative

In addition to funding the above national evaluation, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation also supported evaluations at four of the pilot sites. The studies were monitored by Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago and examined projects in Santa Cruz, California; Chicago, Illinois; the state of New Hampshire; and Seattle-King County, Washington. The results varied among the four communities, but taken together the studies suggest that Reclaiming Futures has the potential to change agency practices in ways that can lead to improved outcomes for youth. More information is in the following report:

Organizing for Outcomes: Measuring the Effects of Reclaiming Futures in Four Communities