Overview of: “For whom does a transitional jobs program work?

• Author: Jennifer Yahner,Janine Zweig,Cindy Redcross
• Date: 01 November 2011
• Published date: 01 November 2011
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-9133.2011.00766.x

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

TRANSITIONAL JOBS PROGRAM

Overview of: “For whom does a transitional

jobs program work?

Examining the recidivism effects of the Center

for Employment Opportunities program on former

prisoners at high, medium, and low risk of reoffending”

Janine Zweig

Jennifer Yahner

Urban Institute

Cindy Redcross

MDRC

Research Summary

This study documents that a transitional jobs program for former prisoners had

its strongest reductions in recidivism among those in the program with the highest

risk of reoffending. The New York City-based Center for Employment Opportunities

(CEO) is a transitional jobs program designed to help former prisoners increase longer

term employment and, consequently, reduce recidivism. Interim results from MDRC’s

rigorous impact evaluation of CEO showed reduced recidivism in both the first and

the second year of follow-up. The current study

•expanded on the interim results by using regression-based analysis to identify

whether CEO had its greatest impact among low-, medium-, or high-risk

offenders—with risk levels defined by participants’ characteristics before random

assignment that are associated with recidivism after random assignment.

•found that CEO had its strongest reductions in recidivism for former prisoners who

were at the highest risk of recidivism. For high-risk former prisoners, participation

in CEO reduced significantly the probability of rearrest, the number of rearrests,

and the probability of reconviction 2 years after randomassignment to the program.

DOI:10.1111/j.1745-9133.2011.00766.x C2011 American Society of Criminology 943

Criminology & Public Policy rVolume 10 rIssue 4