TJRD participants were provided with 30 to 40 hours of transitional, subsidized employment; job search assistance; and other supports, including job coaching and classes before employment. Case managers acted as the primary point of contact for participants and helped participants access support for transportation, housing, and clothing, as well as referrals to training programs and substance abuse or mental health treatment. Within two weeks of random assignment, participants reported to their transitional jobs, which typically lasted 90 days with the option to extend as slots were available.
Eligible participants were men age 18 or older who had been released from prison within the previous 90 days, were interested in and available for full-time employment, and had not participated in transitional employment within the previous year. Participants in later cohorts in Milwaukee and St. Paul also received bonuses (up to $1,500) for obtaining and retaining unsubsidized employment. The TJRD was implemented in Chicago, IL; Detroit, MI; Milwaukee, WI; and St. Paul, MN.
The TJRD provided people who were formerly incarcerated with job search and placement assistance and subsidized employment opportunities to help reduce recidivism and increase self-sufficiency among participants.