Employment-Focused Programs for Ex-Prisoners
From MDRC:
In recognition of the enormous human and financial toll of recidivism, there is new interest among researchers, community advocates, and public officials in prisoner reentry initiatives, particularly those focused on employment.
Yet the results described above do not support the view that "nothing works."
Some programs seem to be modestly successful: those for older ex-prisoners, integrated services both before and after release, and perhaps models using financial incentives.
Approaches that might be tested in the future include: earnings supplements and work incentives; employer-focused strategies, such as the federal bonding program and supported placements to give employers incentives to hire ex-prisoners; in-prison vocational training; performance goals for parole officers that emphasize parolees' employment; and programs that address motivational issues, such as faith-based initiatives, therapeutic models, and those that engage ex-prisoners' families.
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