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Summary

CEO’s Prisoner Reentry Program provided people who were formerly incarcerated with a preemployment class, temporary paid jobs with New York City agencies, job coaching, job development, a parenting class, and post-placement services to reduce recidivism and improve labor market prospects.

Participants started the program with a four-day preemployment, life-skills class focusing on job-readiness issues, such as workplace behavior, job search skills, and decision making. The program then placed participants in transitional jobs at New York City agencies. Participants worked in these transitional jobs for four days a week at the state minimum wage and were paid at the end of each day. On the fifth day of each week, participants met with job coaches at the CEO office to discuss their performance at the transitional job and prepare for future interviews. Participants could also spend part of their fifth day discussing permanent employment opportunities with a job developer or participating in a fatherhood program designed to help with child support issues and improve family relationships. Job coaches followed up with participants after they obtained permanent jobs to promote employment retention. They provided rewards—such as gift certificates to various stores and paid mass transit cards—every 30 days for a one-year period to individuals who maintained employment of at least 20 hours per week. Individuals who lost jobs for reasons unrelated to theft or violence or who experienced barriers affecting their employment could return to the program for a minimum of job development and post-placement services. On average, participants worked for nine weeks in their transitional job, spread over about four months of engagement with the program.

As of 2020, CEO’s Prisoner Reentry Program continues to offer similar services to eligible participants. Individual who were formerly incarcerated who were referred to CEO by their parole officer and had not worked in a CEO transitional job in the prior year were eligible to participate in the program. CEO’s Prisoner Reentry Program was implemented in New York City, NY.

Populations and employment barriers: Former incarceration

Effectiveness rating and effect by outcome domain

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Outcome domain Term Effectiveness rating Effect in 2018 dollars and percentages Effect in standard deviations Sample size
Increase earnings Short-term Little evidence to assess support favorable $1,339 per year 0.064 973
Long-term Little evidence to assess support favorable $42 per year 0.002 973
Very long-term No evidence to assess support
Increase employment Short-term Little evidence to assess support unfavorable -1% (in percentage points) -0.018 973
Long-term Little evidence to assess support favorable 0% (in percentage points) 0.004 973
Very long-term No evidence to assess support
Decrease benefit receipt Short-term No evidence to assess support
Long-term No evidence to assess support
Very long-term No evidence to assess support
Increase education and training All measurement periods No evidence to assess support

Studies of this intervention

Study quality rating Study counts per rating
High High 1

Implementation details

Cost information

The average cost per participant was $6,634 in 2018 dollars.

This figure is based on cost information reported by authors of the study or studies the Pathways Clearinghouse reviewed for this intervention. The Pathways Clearinghouse converted that information to a single amount expressed in 2018 dollars; for details, see the FAQ. Where there are multiple studies of an intervention rated high or moderate quality, the Pathways Clearinghouse computed the average of costs reported across those studies.

Cost information is not directly comparable across interventions due to differences in the categories of costs reported and the amount of time interventions lasted. Cost information is not an official price tag or guarantee.

Local context

Characteristics of research participants
Black or African American
64%
White, not Hispanic
2%
Another race
3%
Hispanic or Latino of any race
31%

The Pathways Clearinghouse refers to interventions by the names used in study reports or manuscripts. Some intervention names may use language that is not consistent with our style guide, preferences, or the terminology we use to describe populations.