Before release, participants who were incarcerated received 16 hours of job search training and additional job search assistance from job training and job development specialists. In the week before release, participants were assigned a retention specialist and received a portfolio with a resume, an EMPLOY program certification, job leads, and additional supports such as bus fare and clothing for interviews. Retention specialists conducted 4 follow-up meetings with participants over the 12-month period after their release.

The sequence of required activities began with a two-week job search workshop. Next, participants completed three months of unpaid work experience (typically 20 to 30 hours per week) with concurrent job club sessions every other week, followed by assessments and referrals to outside education or training programs, if necessary. Part-time employment could substitute for some SWIM activities. People were placed in SWIM if they were applying for or receiving AFDC benefits from participating AFDC offices and met criteria for required participation.

IPS gave people ongoing support to find work based on their own preferences, a vocational assessment, and job development. Employment specialists gave individualized support to participants as well as counseling and help with transportation. There was no time limit on IPS services; employment support was given as needed. IPS was provided to unemployed individuals who were living in an urban neighborhood that was low income and who had severe mental disorders that kept them from finding employment for at least two years.

REM combined short-term occupational training, job placement services, case management, and supportive services such as child care to help participants find jobs. The program offered a financial incentive of $100 in cash or gift cards for each week participants attended all training sessions, and an additional $50 if they were hired and reported their employment to their training provider. Training lasted up to six weeks and was provided in areas such as construction, truck driving, clerical work, or nursing.

AF was a small-group, one-week program in which participants (veterans with felony histories) described their work aspirations, drafted resumes, and discussed employment challenges. After AF, participants moved into IPS, a program founded on a set of core principles—including small caseloads and rapid job searches—with the intention of helping people find and keep jobs. During IPS, supported employment specialists (SESs) provided individual job search services and worked with local employers to find positions for participants.

The program provided a life-skills course and internet-based instruction designed to improve math and reading skills to the ninth-grade level. After completing the initial education, participants could enroll in occupational training in certificate courses, including courses in the administrative support, health care, and manufacturing fields. Participants began with a life-skills course that lasted 17 hours, progressed to occupational training courses that lasted between 2.5 and 16 weeks, and finished with 24 hours of career-readiness training.