The Impact of Intensive Job Search Assistance Outcomes of Former Inmates

Abstract: An important policy issue is how to successfully reacclimate former inmates into society, and a fundament piece in doing that is securing employment. This presents a major challenge in today’s economy – with unemployment rates around 8% – because the pool of potential workers without a criminal history is very large. This study, headed by Dr. Aaron Yelowitz in conjunction with University of Kentucky’s CBER, will evaluate secondary data produced by Manhattan Institute in conjunction with Public/Private Ventures, Inc. (PPV). For eighteen months in 2009/2010, PPV and Manhattan Institute surveyed individuals who sought job counseling from America Works, and conducted a randomized trial where the intervention of intensive job search services was given to approximately half of the 254 individuals who participated in the study. The other half of the sample received “regular job search services” from America Works. The company that Manhattan Institute partnered with – PPV – folded in July 2012, and they are now looking to complete this project with UK/CBER. Based on our understanding of the data, the central question that the proposal will address is whether intensive job services had a measurable impact on outcomes for former inmates. Although some outcomes – like employment – might be difficult to get, Manhattan Institute has already collected data on criminal recidivism for the study volunteers, and as a consequence, there is some promise in potentially finding effects on an important outcome, with the caution that the sample sizes may be small enough that the study lacks statistical power. Manhattan Institute is aware of this possibility, and nonetheless, wants to proceed forward with the analysis.