Document Type
Report
Publication Date
6-30-2016
Abstract
This report provides an overview of data points for the first vocational and life skills grant. The following pages provide more information on the data collection and evaluation process as well as program specific participant information for the last quarter and overall grant cycle. In the first Vocational and Life Skills grant cycle, there were 2,449 individual participations across all reentry programs. All of these individuals are unique to the program, though some individuals were served in multiple programs. This means that the numbers provided represent participations in programs and not necessarily unique individuals across programs. 186 individuals participated in two programs, 12 participated in three programs, and 1 participated in four different programs during the first grant cycle.
The programs served individuals who were in a correctional facility, under supervision or who had discharged within 18 months. 1,161 participants were classified as an inmate in a facility or a work release center. Additionally, programs served 534 parolees, 343 probationers, and 415 participants within 18 months of release. The average participant was 35 years old with an average of 95 days between program start date and end date. Services were offered to participants on site in Lincoln, Omaha, Hastings, McCook with teleservices offered to participants in Kearney, Norfolk and Gering. Programs also served participants in many of the correctional facilities including (Omaha Correctional Center, Nebraska Correctional Youth Facility, Community Correctional Center Omaha and Nebraska Correctional Center for Women.)
Programs offered many different services that are broken down into separate program areas. These program areas are listed out by program at the end of this report. Some programs focused on both vocational and life skills while others provided more specific services to either vocational or life skills. Vocational skills were classified as providing some type of formalized training, education, or certification that would prepare a participant to gain meaningful employment. Life skills were classified as other services that prepare an individual 2 for reentry like residential services, staff or peer mentorship, and employment prep.
Across programs, there were 1,495 participations in life skills programming and 874 participations where participants received some form of education. There were 1,659 vocational program area participations across all programs1. Specific program area participation can be found for each funded program in the following pages. Program areas are denoted with VS for vocational skills and LS for life skills for the category that is the best fit. Many programs were able to track employment data for participants during and after program participation. Programs that were able to track employment information reported 667 participants who were employed while in the program or who gained employment after the program.
To provide more detail into the lives of the participants, qualitative data was also collected through interviews and surveys at each program. Participant interviews were conducted with people at each program site with participants who had completed the program or who were nearing the end of their program participation. In total, 27 interviews were conducted in the Spring of 2016. Interview questions mirrored survey questions, however, they allowed participants to further discuss the program and their reentry experience in the context of their life story. Analysis of these interviews is ongoing and will be available in future reports.
Programs began administering surveys beginning in January 2016 to participants that were nearing the end of their program participation. The surveys collected information on program satisfaction, job readiness, barriers to reentry and life satisfaction. Participants were also asked to provide any additional feedback about their experiences in the program. A total of 216 participants started the survey and 199 completed it. It is important to note that surveys were not taken at the same rate across programs. Many of the surveys came from two programs. Also, surveys were not added to the evaluation until the last six months of the grant cycle, so early participants did not take it.
Recommended Citation
UNO Nebraska Center for Justice Research, "Nebraska Department of Correctional Service Vocational & Life Skills Program Quarterly Report and Final Report" (2016). Reports. 30.
https://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/ncjrreports/30