Foundations of Success

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Foundations of Success

• Research-based elements for successful employment
  
• of formerly incarcerated adults
• Prepared by
• Joseph C. Cornwall Center for Metropolitan
  Studies
• Dr. Stephanie R. Bush-Baskette, JD., Director

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Joseph C. Cornwall Center for Metropolitan
StudiesRutgers University-Newark

• Established 2000

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About the Joseph C. Cornwall Center

• Established in 2000
• Promotes research and interchange among scholars
  of urban and metropolitan life, government
  leaders, community-based organizations, and
  private citizens.
• Supports collaborative systematic analysis and
  innovative discussion of public policy issues. 
• Areas of interest and research
• Social Justice (incl. Criminal Justice Child
  Welfare)
• Health
• Housing
• Community Development
• Economic Development

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Employment

• The basic elements underlying successful
  employment are essentially the same for everyone.
  They include both structural and psychosocial
  elements.

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Structural Elements

• Education/skills for meaningful employment
• Health (includes health care and nutrition)
• Housing
• Transportation
• Availability of jobs
• Training opportunities in emerging job sectors
• Fundamental needs (clothing, food, grooming, etc.)

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Psychosocial Elements

• Family support
• Social support
• Stability
• Positive social networks

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Employer Needs

• Trained workers
• Dependable workers
• Confidence in workforce
• Job specific needs

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Issues Associated with Reentry

• Research supports our understanding of the
  special needs of formerly incarcerated
  individuals.

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What we know about the New Jersey inmate
population

• Median age is 33 years
• 39 are between age 21-30
• 29 are between age 31-39
• 29 are age 40 and older
• Of 21 New Jersey Counties, ten account for 80 of
  total Department of Corrections residents
• Essex (16), Camden (13), Passaic (9), Hudson
  (8), Union (8), Atlantic (7), Mercer (5),
  Middlesex (5), Monmouth (5), Bergen (4)

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Factors Associated With Recidivism

• Type of conviction/crime
• Prior criminal record
• Employment
• Age
• Family composition
• Drug use
• Source Petersilia, Joan (with James Q. Wilson),
  Crime Public Policies For Crime Control. ICS
  Press, San Francisco, Ca., 2002.

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Common Challenges for Formerly Incarcerated
Individuals

• Age
• Return to high crime neighborhoods
• Strained family relationships
• Stigma
• Education levels
• less than high school degree or equivalent-GED
• Employment readiness
• Lack prior work history and experience
• May not have taken advantage of job training or
  educational opportunities while incarcerated
• Lack familiarity with work culture
• Access to fundamental necessities (e.g.,
  transportation, good nights rest, appropriate
  clothing, ability to groom oneself, health care,
  food)

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Other Problems

• May suffer collateral consequences based on
  type of conviction(s)
• Civic Participation - jury service, post-release
  supervision, voting disenfranchisement
• Employment- discrimination, licensure, barred
  from certain types of employment
• Family -parental rights, sex offender
  registration
• Financial Impact -education and financial aid,
  financial penalties, government benefits
• Housing -public housing, private sector housing
• Immigration -deportation

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Common Needs

• Rebuilding family networks
• Community-based support
• Identification
• Birth certificate, social security number
• State identification or drivers license
• Job training
• Mentoring
• Meaningful employment
• Work efforts have the ability to pay costs of
  decent housing, take care of children/child
  support, etc.)
• May need one or two jobs but self-sufficiency is
  within reach

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Empirical Evidence

• Cornwall Center Women and Reentry study

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Cornwall Center Women Reentry Study

• Begun in 2006
• Working in cooperation with New Jersey Department
  of Corrections/Edna Mahan Correctional Facility
• Four phases
• Case record review
• Surveys of women
• Interviews with women before reentry
• Case studies and follow up with women after
  reentry

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Purpose of the Study

• Examine unique issues associated with women and
  reentry
• Provide data to inform the development of
  improved reentry strategies and resources
• Quantify service needs and gaps in services
• Promote successful outcomes for the women, their
  families and their communities
• Phase I, Case Record Review complete
• Approximately 500 variables
• 250 records

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Preliminary Work-Related Findings

• Education
• Lower levels of education
• Many drop outs
• Pregnancy
• Drug use
• Problems adapting to school (social
  psychological)
• Work History
• Most had no prior work history
• Limited industries
• Primarily food service (fast food, cashiers, some
  waitress)
• Retail sales
• Labor (cleaning, warehouse, construction)

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Other Compounding Factors

• Children
• One or more under the age of 18
• Was primary caregiver before arrest and
  conviction
• Children living with maternal grandparents
• Housing
• Lived w/parents or boyfriends/not primary tenant
• Most renters
• Health
• Better than expected physical health (compared to
  studies elsewhere)
• Mental health (including histories of abuse)
• Drug/alcohol use/abuse

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Guiding questions

• What are we doing currently?
• What needs to be done?
• What needs to happen before reentry?
• When should it begin?
• What other supports and services are necessary?
• Who can help?