Innovation Session:
Employment-Focused Reentry Programming: What Does the Evidence Say, and What's Next?
Friday, November 9, 2018: 12:30 PM-1:15 PM
Atrium - Exhibit Level (Marriott Wardman Park)
*Names in bold indicate Presenter
Participants: Hannah Betesh, Social Policy Research Associates, Johanna Lacoe, Mathematica Policy Research and Jessica Lohmann, U.S. Department of Labor, Chief Evaluation Office
Description of Research: Supporting successful reentry is an issue that has attracted broad, bipartisan interest, and employment represents a potential source of stability and opportunity during the reentry period. However, the path to employment can be challenging for this population and, to date, most evaluations of employment-focused reentry programs have not shown these approaches to be effective in improving labor market outcomes or reducing recidivism. In the context of both limited public funding and growing emphasis on the importance of supporting evidence-based solutions, policymakers need to know which approaches to prioritize in addressing pressing social issues, including reentry. Fostering a real-time dialogue on what is known, what questions are currently under study, and where additional research is needed will provide an opportunity for both researchers and practitioners to situate their work on reentry within the field’s most critical needs for evidence.
