NCJ Number
87224
Date Published
1982
Length
11 pages
Annotation
A director of manpower programs serving offenders and ex-offenders discusses current operating practices of job assistance programs, analyzes variables neglected in program designs, and recommends policy changes necessary for survival in an era of increasing budgetary restraints.
Abstract
Emphasis has shifted from prison programs with skill training to community-based programs offering a range of employment services, largely because research suggests that prison vocational training has limited impact. The Lazar Institute's 1978 report on ex-offender employment programs noted that few could produce convincing evidence that they improved long-term employment patterns. However, certain techniques can maximize available resources and improve the potential for client success. A National Institute of Justice (NIJ) project providing a wide range of personal services appeared to help ex-offenders obtain better jobs in a shorter time than traditional approaches. The NIJ experience also indicated that the period after placement is critical for the ex-offender and that followup support is valuable in easing work adjustment. Employment programs should humanize services as much as possible, increase the duration of client contact with the program, address social and cultural problems affecting employee behavior, and constantly evaluate operating practices. National policies should ensure that individuals do not pass through social institutions without acquiring the basic skills necessary to compete for jobs and promote alliances among the educational system, training programs, and the private sector. Inmate programs should be structured to reflect the real work environment. Employment services may have to move into entrepreneurial ventures and accept fees for services to survive financially. The paper includes three footnotes.