Evaluating Recidivism and Job Quality Outcomes for Participants in the Hoosier Initiative for Reentry Employment (HIRE) Program. Issue 2 (3rd April 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Northcutt Bohmert, Miriam; Hood, Brittany J.; Meckes, Jessica
• Is Part Of: Corrections. Volume 2:Issue 2(2017)
• Page Start: 110
• Page End: 129
• Publication Date: 2017-04-03
• Subjects: Program evaluation -- employment -- reentry -- prison -- felony disenfranchisement; Punishment -- United States -- Periodicals; Criminal justice, Administration of -- United States -- Periodicals; 364.60973
• DOI: 10.1080/23774657.2016.1277378
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2377-4657

Abstract

ABSTRACT: The Hoosier Initiative for Reentry Employment (HIRE) program provides employment assistance to Indiana residents with felony offenses. We examine whether HIRE participants ( n = 328), who obtained jobs after release from prison in 2014, had lower recidivism rates than the comparison group of all offenders released from Indiana prisons in 2014 ( n = 17, 901). Our results show that HIRE participants, despite having more serious criminal histories, have lower hazards of reincarceration (both new offenses and technical violations) than the comparison group. Contrary to hypotheses, HIRE offenders who had better paying and more prestigious jobs did not have significantly lower hazards of reincarceration. Finally, several factors predict quality of job placement (wage, prestige of field) including: age, veteran status, gender, race/ethnicity, and previous sex offense.