NCJ Number
241840
Journal
Federal Probation Volume: 76 Issue: 3 Dated: December 2012 Pages: 31-36
Date Published
December 2012
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This article presents the findings of an evaluation that used post-release outcome information and other information to determine the impact of the National Institute of Corrections' Offender Workforce Development Specialist (OWDS) program as it was implemented by the Kansas Department of Corrections (KDOC).
Abstract
The findings indicate that the OWDS program is relatively promising in terms of its impact on short-term outcomes. Receiving OWD services contributed to a decreased likelihood of recidivism within 1 year of release. This conclusion was reached after controlling for other factors that could potentially impact the likelihood for recidivism, such as race, gender, and other programming. The objectives of the OWDS program are to provide participants with the knowledge and skills required to deliver effective work force development services; to promote collaboration that will result in increased positive employment outcomes; to help participant teams develop a plan for delivering OWDS training in their communities; and to prepare trainees to be instructors of the OWDS curriculum. The program encompasses the workforce development services that the specialists provide to the offender population. The KDOC's development and implementation of the OWDS services included comprehensive pre-employment preparation, job-retention planning, and post-release case management for individuals assessed as having the greatest barriers for successfully gaining and keeping employment. The evaluation concludes that OWD specialists should continue to emphasize employment retention at some point during the study period. The comparison group included 5,969 individuals released from KDOC during the time frame of the study. 6 tables and 8 references