Absence of conflict of interest.
Citation
Highlights
- The study's objective was to examine the impact of General Education Development (GED) attainment and Therapeutic Community (TC) participation on earnings and employment following release from prison.
- The study used a nonexperimental design with a matched comparison group. Study authors used data from the Idaho Department of Corrections and Unemployment Insurance to conduct statistical analyses and compare differences in outcomes between the treatment and comparison groups.
- The study found that TC participation was significantly associated with higher earnings.
- This study receives a moderate evidence rating. This means we are somewhat confident that the estimated effects are attributable to TC participation or GED attainment, but other factors might also have contributed
Intervention Examined
General Education Development (GED) and Therapeutic Community (TC)
Features of the Intervention
Therapeutic Community (TC) programs run by the Idaho Department of Corrections (IDOC) are intended to provide comprehensive support in a community setting for incarcerated people with mental health and/or substance abuse issues. By promoting pro-social behavior among formerly incarcerated people, the hope is that returning citizens will have more success in the job market. TC placement was based on the Level of Service Inventory scores above 21 (LSI) which indicated substance abuse and/or an extensive criminal history and/or criminal attitudes. TC participation for those eligible was required and typically lasted 9-12 months prior to release. TC participants were also required to participate in a 1 year 'aftercare' program following release to reinforce the impact of TC.
The Robert Janss School, part of the IDOC, is a state-accredited school that provides the courses required for high school equivalency certification. In the Idaho prisons that were part of this study, GED course enrollment was not required. Also, many eligible individuals could not participate in the GED program because class sizes were limited. The target population for both programs was adult male prisoners held in Idaho prisons (3 public, 1 private) and released in 2004.
Features of the Study
The study used a nonexperimental design with a matched comparison group to evaluate the impact of TC participation and GED attainment on the employment and earnings outcomes of recently released male inmates in Idaho. TC participants were compared with those who were eligible for TC (i.e., had behavioral health needs) but did not participate in TC. GED participants were compared with those who had a GED entering prison or those who did not have a GED and did not earn one while incarcerated. A total of 1,396 adult men were released from prison in 2004 and were eligible for inclusion in the study. After removing participants with incomplete data and matching on demographic variables, LSI scores, and criminal history, the final sample size was 470 when evaluating employment and 379 when evaluating earnings. Hispanics represented the largest ethnic minority in the sample. Authors collected data on marriage, time served, and prior justice system involvement. Quarterly earnings data was obtained from the state Unemployment Insurance (UI) files. Employment was measured as having any UI wages over the course of the post intervention period (57 months). The IDOC was the provider of data on GED attainment and TC participation during incarceration. The authors used these data sources to conduct statistical models and compare differences in outcomes between the treatment and comparison groups.
Findings
Employment
- The study did not find a significant relationship between employment post-release and TC participation or GED attainment while incarcerated.
Earnings and wages
- The study found a significant relationship between TC participation and higher quarterly post-release earnings. However, no significant relationship was found for GED attainment while incarcerated.
Considerations for Interpreting the Findings
The authors compared the GED program participants to individuals who had a GED when entering prison as well as those who did not have a GED and did not earn one while incarcerated. Since a GED is often a minimum requirement for employment, the inclusion of individuals who already had a GED prior to incarceration in the comparison group may have diluted the study findings.
Causal Evidence Rating
The quality of causal evidence presented in this report is moderate because it was based on a well-implemented nonexperimental design. This means we are somewhat confident that the estimated effects are attributable to TC participation or GED attainment, but other factors might also have contributed.