Pathway Home Evaluation Evaluation Brief Published
January 4, 2024
In 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Chief Evaluation Office contracted SPR and Mathematica to evaluate the implementation of the Pathway Home Reentry Grant program to learn more about the effectiveness of job-focused programs for people returning to society after being incarcerated. The evaluation seeks to understand how programs before and after incarceration can be run more effectively and expanded to serve more people. The findings of this evaluation aim to help policymakers and program designers in the reentry field make more informed decisions about the design and delivery of reentry services.
SPR’s Ivette Gutierrez, Skye Allmang and Maddhi Jayagoda published a brief about establishing grant programs inside correctional facilities. They found:
- Creating a supportive environment within correctional facilities is essential to the success of reentry programs. Key to this is establishing clear communication channels between the correctional facility and the program providers.
- Reentry programs should prioritize early and frequent meetings with correctional partners to better understand the unique culture and procedures of each facility, which is essential for program success.
- Programs provided case management services, individualized career plans, and job and work readiness training behind bars.