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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
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)