Question

Can transitional jobs for ex-prisoners reduce recidivism?

Why are we asking?
Over the past several years, policymakers have increasingly focused on the daunting problems facing the more than 600,000 people who are released from prison each year and reenter their communities. They frequently have difficulties finding jobs and housing, and experience problems reconnecting with family and other social supports. Successful transitions are rare — two-thirds of released prisoners are rearrested, and half are reincarcerated within three years. MDRC is evaluating several programs that seek to improve the success rate.

Working Toward a Solution

Report

More Than a Job

Ex-prisoners who had access to CEO’s transitional jobs program were less likely to be convicted of a crime and reincarcerated. The effects were particularly large for those ex-prisoners who enrolled in the program shortly after release. The recidivism reductions mean that the program is cost-effective — generating more in savings than it cost.

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Testing the Next Generation of Subsidized Employment Programs

Targeting “hard to employ” groups, transitional jobs programs use a range of approaches. Some place participants into fully subsidized, temporary jobs to gain work experience; others place recruits into permanent positions with a temporary wage subsidy; and others combine methods. This report introduces the evaluation of 13 distinct programs.

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A Successful Prisoner Reentry Program Expands

An earlier MDRC evaluation found that the original Center for Employment Opportunities transitional jobs program reduced the rates at which important subgroups of participants committed new crimes or were reincarcerated. The current evaluation finds that five new replication programs have implemented the model faithfully.

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