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Providing Services in a Jail-Based American Job Center
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Providing Services in a Jail-Based American Job Center

Issue Brief, Lessons from LEAP
Published: May 31, 2018
Publisher: Princeton, NJ: Mathematica Policy Research
Human Services Employment Criminal Justice Training and Re-employment Justice Recidivism Reentry Research & Evaluation Evaluation Design Policy Analysis

Associated Project

Connecting Inmates to Public Workforce Services Prior to Release: The Linking to Employment Activities Pre-Release Grants

Time frame: 2015-2018

Prepared for:

U.S. Department of Labor

Authors

Jennifer Henderson-Frakes

Key Findings

Key Findings:

  • Jail-based AJC services addressed diverse but interrelated aspects of both job and life skills.
  • Work readiness training, workforce information services, and career/life skills counseling were the most common pre-release services.
  • Participants valued opportunities to gain marketable skills, such as Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) certification, and to obtain supportive services, such as assistance getting official identification.
  • Staff felt that refresher activities just before release for participants who had completed pre-release programming with time left in jail could boost participants’ chances for post-release success.

In 2015, 20 LEAP grantees established jail-based AJCs to offer employment-related services to incarcerated individuals and connect them to further support immediately upon their release into the community. The jail-based AJCs provided participants with comprehensive case management; job-seeking services; and assistance with education or training. This brief discusses how jail-based AJC staff assessed inmates’ needs and goals, prepared employment and service plans, and delivered services to address participants’ barriers before their transition to the community and the workforce.

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