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Formerly incarcerated individuals in New York City who met certain eligibility criteria were randomly assigned to the CEO Transitional Jobs Program or to a comparison condition. To be eligible for the study, individuals had to be referred to CEO by their parole officer, report to the program, not work in a CEO transitional job in the year before baseline, and sign an informed consent form. Evaluators randomly assigned a total of 977 formerly incarcerated people to intervention (568 participants) and comparison (409 participants) conditions. The random assignment procedure was conducted only during weeks when the number of new enrollees exceeded the slots available (this is why the sample sizes for the CEO and comparison conditions were not identical).
Of the 977 sample members who were randomly assigned from January 2004 through October 2005, evaluators selected everyone randomly assigned from January to December 2004 to participate in the survey as well as a random subset of those randomly assigned between January and October 2005.
Participants were randomly assigned between January 2004 and October 2005. Data were collected on each participant for three years after they were randomly assigned.
This evaluation was funded by ACF and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Additional funding for site development and implementation research was provided by the U.S. Department of Labor, the Lewin Group, the Urban Institute, and Group Health Cooperative.
Participants were all people who had been formerly incarcerated who were predominantly male (93 percent) at an average age of 33 to 34 years. Most were Black and not Hispanic (65 percent) or Hispanic (31 percent). Roughly half the sample had either a high school diploma or GED, and roughly three-quarters of people in the sample were U.S. citizens.
Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO)
CEO has implemented similar programs since 1996.
CEO provided a comprehensive employment program for formerly incarcerated individuals. To reduce recidivism and improve labor market prospects, CEO provided formerly incarcerated individuals with temporary paid jobs working for New York City agencies and other services. Specifically, CEO’s services included a preemployment class, a transitional job, job coaching, job development, a parenting class, and post-placement services.
The individuals assigned to the comparison condition received a shorter version of the preemployment class. They had access to a resource room that offered basic job search equipment (for example, computers and fax machines), a staff person to assist them with a job search, and other services in the community.
Study participation was not required, but participants were referred to the program by parole officers (who might have introduced penalties for nonparticipation).
The authors reported that 76 percent of the intervention group members completed the weeklong preemployment class, and the average time participants spent working in a transitional job was nine weeks, spread over about four months of engagement with the program.
CEO; New York State Division of Parole.
The CEO program took place in New York City. Participants worked in crews of about six people in city and state agencies throughout New York City. Participants reported to the CEO’s office to meet with job coaches and developers.
Criminal justice, Substance abuse, Housing, Physical health, Marriage