Absence of conflict of interest.
Citation
Duwe, G. (2015). The benefits of keeping idle hands busy: An outcome evaluation of a prisoner reentry employment program. Crime & Delinquency, 61(4), 559-586.
Highlights
- The study’s objective was to examine the impact of the Minnesota Department of Correction’s EMPLOY work release program on post-release employment, earnings, and recidivism outcomes for incarcerated adults.
- The author used propensity-score matching to create a comparison group of nonparticipants similar to EMPLOY program participants. The author estimated the program’s effects by comparing these groups’ post-release recidivism, employment, and earnings outcomes. Data from the Minnesota Department of Corrections provided recidivism information, and data from the Minnesota Department of Employee and Economic Development provided employment and earnings information.
- EMPLOY program participation decreased the risk of conviction for a new crime by 32 percent, the risk of reincarceration by 55 percent, and the risk of revocation for technical violations by 63 percent, on average.
- The quality of causal evidence presented in this report for recidivism outcomes is moderate because it was based on a well-implemented nonexperimental design that established that the criminal history of the two groups was similar before the intervention. This means we are somewhat confident that the estimated effects on recidivism are attributable to the EMPLOY program, but other factors might also have contributed. The quality of causal evidence presented in this report for employment outcomes is low because the author did not ensure that the groups being compared were similar in terms of employment history before the intervention. This means we are not confident that the estimated effects on employment outcomes are attributable to the EMPLOY program; other factors are likely to have contributed.
Intervention Examined
EMPLOY Program
Features of the Intervention
The Minnesota Department of Correction’s EMPLOY program provides reentry employment services to people about to be released from a Minnesota state prison. Eligible inmates must have fewer than five years left in their sentence, a clean disciplinary record, and at least six months of work experience in the state’s prison industry program, and they must apply to participate in the program. EMPLOY participants meet with an employment specialist about 60 to 90 days before their release in two eight-hour small group sessions that cover job readiness, preparing a resume, conducting an interview, and job search techniques. Before release, job development specialists provide job leads based on individuals’ skills and the community to which they will return. As soon as participants are released from prison, retention specialists follows up to provide a job search portfolio, which includes their resume, any certifications earned, the job leads, and additional resources such as transportation vouchers. The specialists maintain contact with participants and provide continuous support, as needed, for up to 12 months.
Features of the Study
The author used a matched comparison group design to compare post-release employment, earnings, and recidivism outcomes between the treatment group of participants in the EMPLOY program and a comparison group of similar people. Treatment and comparison group members were drawn from correctional facilities throughout Minnesota. A total of 232 people who participated in EMPLOY from 2006 to 2008 comprised the treatment group. Among these people, 78 percent were male, 46 percent were non-white, average age at release was about 37, and the average number of prior felony convictions was about three. Using propensity-score matching, the author constructed a comparison group by identifying one nonparticipant most similar to each participant, out of 3,959 nonparticipants who were eligible for the program but did not participate. The author used statistical models to compare treatment and comparison group members’ outcomes using data on employment and earnings from the Minnesota Department of Employee and Economic Development and data on recidivism from the Minnesota Department of Corrections and other agencies.
Findings
Recidivism
- EMPLOY program participation decreased the risk of conviction for a new crime by 32 percent, the risk of reincarceration by 55 percent, and the risk of revocation for technical violations by 63 percent, on average. These results were statistically significant.
Employment
- The EMPLOY program was associated with a greater likelihood of securing employment after release. This result were statistically significant.
Earnings
- The EMPLOY program was associated with higher earnings after release. This result was statistically significant.
Considerations for Interpreting the Findings
Although the author used a well-implemented nonexperimental design to examine the relationship between participation in EMPLOY and recidivism, they did not account for potential differences before the program between the treatment and comparison groups’ employment and earnings histories. These potential existing differences between the groups—and not the EMPLOY program—could explain the observed differences in employment and earnings outcomes. Thus, the employment and earnings outcomes receive a low evidence rating while the recidivism outcomes receive a moderate evidence rating.
Causal Evidence Rating
The quality of causal evidence presented in this report for recidivism outcomes is moderate because it was based on a well-implemented nonexperimental design that established that the criminal history of the two groups was similar before the intervention. This means we are somewhat confident that the estimated effects on recidivism are attributable to the EMPLOY program, but other factors might also have contributed.
The quality of causal evidence presented in this report for employment and earnings outcomes is low because the author did not ensure that the groups being compared had similar employment and earnings before the intervention. This means we are not confident that the estimated effects are attributable to the EMPLOY program; other factors are likely to have contributed.