Assessing the Statewide Impact of the Specter Vocational Program on Reentry Outcomes - A Propensity Score Matching Analysis

• NCJ Number: 252228
• Journal: Journal of Offender Rehabilitation Volume: 56 Issue: 1 Dated: 2017 Pages: 61-86
• Author(s): Leslie Hill; Samuel J.A. Scaggs; William D. Bales
• Date Published: 2017
• Length: 26 pages
• Grant Number(s): 2011-MU-BX-0006
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical); Program/Project Evaluation
• Award: Florida Department of Corrections and Florida State University Research Project

Annotation

This study assessed the statewide impact on offender reentry outcomes of participants in the Spector Vocational Program, a vocational work program offered by the Florida Department of Corrections from 1997 to 2012.

Abstract

Using propensity score matching, inmates who earned a Specter vocational certificate had statistically significantly lower rates of recidivism within 3 years of release from prison when compared with inmates who had not earned a certificate; however, those who earned a Specter certificate did not have statistically significant improvements in postrelease employment within 3 months of release. This article discusses the possibilities for conflicting findings regarding employment and recidivism, as well as potential avenues for future research. (Publisher abstract modified)