NCJ Number
207493
Date Published
October 2001
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This report presents findings from an evaluation of the Employment Services program of New York City's Center for Community Alternatives, which examined the program's effectiveness in helping female offenders move from welfare to work and regain or maintain custody of their children.
Abstract
The program's intent is to provide job services for female offenders with children who receive welfare benefits. Program components include strength-based assessments of the women's job skills, job-preparation workshops, assistance with job searching and placement, mentoring, and post-employment support groups intended to increase job retention. The program also provides counseling and family groups to strengthen family structure and enable family members to support newly employed clients. The evaluation reviewed the case files of the 29 women who were enrolled in the program in its first year, as well as the files of 14 women who were active in the program as of July 2001. The study found that those women who were placed in jobs differed in three ways from those who did not become employed; they were more likely to have custody of their children, were more likely to have specific ideas about their long-term goals, and were more likely to be in treatment for substance abuse. Neither employment history nor level of education accounted for differences in the likelihood of becoming employed. Barriers to gaining and retaining employment were identified as the psychological difficulty of leaving welfare dependency; lack of time to participate in job retention programs; child-care issues; and the mixed messages of employment and treatment services regarding the prioritizing of recovery, job preparation, and employment. Recommendations are offered for programs that are working with similar populations.