Re-Entry Programs – Building Better Programs https://www.buildingbetterprograms.org Resources for Improving TANF and Related Work Programs Thu, 19 Mar 2015 18:39:53 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.2 Does Providing Publicly Funded Jobs to Hard-To-Employ People Reduce Crime and Drug Use? https://www.buildingbetterprograms.org/2014/06/04/does-providing-publicly-funded-jobs-to-hard-to-employ-people-reduce-crime-and-drug-use/ Wed, 04 Jun 2014 15:18:15 +0000 http://www.buildingbetterprograms.org/?p=689 Read more]]> Using data from the National Supported Work Demonstration Project, conducted between 1975 and 1978, where former drug users with a history of incarceration were randomly assigned to publicly supported jobs or a control group, the authors of this study were able to isolate the effects of supported work.  Analysis of this data from the 1970s finds that providing a basic job opportunity does reduce the likelihood that heavy substance users will commit serious crimes to steal money from others. People assigned to a group given supported jobs were 39% less likely than those not assigned work to be arrested for robberies or burglaries.

These results demonstrate benefits from providing jobs to individuals with multiple barriers to employment. Supported employment programs for heavy substance users are a promising model for reducing crimes, such as robbery and burglary. The authors suggest that “broader supported jobs programs might be a good idea, too, in this era of high unemployment. If publicly supported jobs programs were available to needy unemployed people beyond the ranks of former prisoners and drug users, the programs would carry lower stigma. A mix of jobs could be offered, creating ladders from minimum-wage posts to better opportunities for all participants.”

Read the report here:
Does Providing Publicly Funded Jobs to Hard-To-Employ People Reduce Crime and Drug Use?

]]> What Works in Reentry Clearinghouse https://www.buildingbetterprograms.org/2014/05/06/what-works-in-reentry-clearinghouse/ Tue, 06 May 2014 19:49:22 +0000 http://www.buildingbetterprograms.org/?p=612 Read more]]> The What Works in Reentry Clearinghouse offers easy access to important research on the effectiveness of a wide variety of reentry programs and practices. It provides a user-friendly, one-stop shop for practitioners and service providers seeking guidance on evidence-based reentry interventions, as well as a useful resource for researchers and others interested in reentry. What Works in Reentry Clearinghouse was developed for the National Reentry Resource Center by the Council of State Governments Justice Center (CSG Justice Center) and the Urban Institute (UI), with funding provided by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance through the Second Chance Act.

What Works in Reentry Clearinghouse website

]]> Integrated Reentry and Employment Strategies https://www.buildingbetterprograms.org/2014/05/06/integrated-reentry-and-employment-strategies/ Tue, 06 May 2014 19:45:35 +0000 http://www.buildingbetterprograms.org/?p=609 Read more]]> The Integrated Reentry and Employment Strategies white paper was written to address the challenges that service providers cannot successfully serve every adult on probation or leaving prison or jail who needs a job. There are simply not enough resources and attempting to serve everyone would be largely ineffective. Also, some individuals require intensive services and programming, while others perform better with lighter interventions and supervision. The white paper can help policymakers, system administrators, and practitioners collaboratively determine whether resources are focused on the right people, with the right interventions, at the right time.

This paper is divided into three parts:

  1. What works to reduce recidivism: risk/need principles that employment professionals can use to improve outcomes for individuals who have been involved in the corrections systems
  2. Proven and promising practices for improving outcomes for hard-to-employ individuals, including adults with criminal records
  3. The resource allocation and service-matching tool: an integrated approach to improving reentry and employment outcomes for individuals released from prison or jail, or who are beginning community supervision.

Integrated Reentry and Employment Strategies: Reducing Recidivism and Promoting Job Readiness

]]> Finding Their Strengths: Strategies for Helping Individuals with Criminal Convictions Find and Sustain Employment https://www.buildingbetterprograms.org/2014/04/24/finding-their-strengths-strategies-for-helping-individuals-with-criminal-convictions-find-and-sustain-employment/ Thu, 24 Apr 2014 22:41:35 +0000 http://www.buildingbetterprograms.org/?p=573 Read more]]>

In this webinar, Debby Kratky, who works on special projects for the Tarrant County (Ft. Worth) Texas Workforce Board, will describe the strategies they use to help individuals with criminal convictions find and maintain employment.  She will provide information on how they prepare individuals for their entry or reentry into the labor force, how they work with employers and how they use wage subsidies to aid in the transition.

Finding Their Strengths – Webinar Slides

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