The Effects of Vocational Education on Recidivism and Employment Among Individuals Released Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Prior research shows employment is an important component of desistance, but there is mixed evidence regarding the effectiveness of prison-based education programs. Therefore, this study examines whether participation in vocational education programs while incarcerated improves recidivism and post-release employment outcomes. In addition, the study controls for the timing of release to examine whether recidivism and employment outcomes varied during the COVID-19 pandemic. Observable selection bias was reduced by using propensity score matching to create similar treatment and comparison groups. After matching, there were no differences in any outcome between those who obtained vocational certificates and the comparison group. The results demonstrate the importance of accounting for selection bias in evaluations of education and employment programs. It is recommended that career-focused educational programs incorporate the risk-needs-responsivity model and the continuum of care principle, build relationships with community employers, and assist with practical barriers to employment.

The Effects of Traumatic Brain Injury and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder on Prison Adjustment and Recidivism among Military Veterans: Evidence from Minnesota.

The prevalence of, and link between, mental health disorders-such as traumatic brain injury (TBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)-and antisocial behavior is well-documented among the military veteran population. Studies also show that TBI and PTSD account for variation in prison-based and re-entry outcomes. Despite this body of research, comparatively fewer studies have explicitly focused on how these factors affect prison adjustment for inmates with prior military experience. We used administrative data provided by the Minnesota Department of Corrections (MnDOC) and employed a series of survival analyses to examine how prior diagnoses of TBI and PTSD (among other risk factors) influence metrics of institutional adjustment and recidivism among a sample of military veterans. Our results indicate that the effects of TBI, PTSD, and other indicators of criminogenic risk are relevant when examining the experiences of justice-involved military veterans-especially with respect recidivism-based outcomes. The implications of our results are discussed and directions for future research are given.

Effectiveness of a Prison-Based Treatment Program for Male Perpetrators of Intimate Partner Violence: A Quasi-Experimental Study of Criminal Recidivism.

Despite increasing interest in programming for perpetrators of intimate partner violence (IPV), the literature provides weak support for the effectiveness of these interventions. However, there are few studies that evaluate programs offered to felony IPV offenders who are serving prison sentences. This study uses a quasi-experimental design to evaluate the effectiveness of a prison-based implementation of a popular IPV intervention in reducing general and offense-specific recidivism among 169 men released from state prison in 2017. Because recidivism data were collected through early March 2019, the average follow-up period was approximately 20 months for both the control group and experimental group. Observable selection bias was minimized by using propensity score matching to create a comparison group of 169 nonparticipants released in 2017 who were not significantly different from the program participants. Cox regression models were used to predict general rearrest, reconviction, reincarceration, and supervised release revocation, as well as rearrest and reconviction for any violent offenses and rearrest and reconviction for domestic violence offenses in particular. No significant differences in any type of recidivism were found between the comparison group and those who participated in treatment, regardless of whether the participant completed or failed to complete the program. The findings suggest that the intervention is no more successful when offered within prisons than when offered in the community. The study concludes by making recommendations for increasing the effectiveness of prison-based domestic violence programming.

Lifestyle-Routine Activities, Neighborhood Context, and Ethnic Hate Crime Victimization.

There is little empirical work examining how individuals' characteristics and lifestyles may influence hate crime victimization. In addition, while recent research suggests that social disorganization theory is useful for understanding hate crime, more studies are needed to understand how community characteristics influence hate crime victimization. This study conducts multilevel models using survey data from approximately 3,700 individuals nested within 123 neighborhoods in order to examine whether lifestyles and neighborhood context contribute to ethnic hate crime victimization. The results identify several measures of lifestyle that are associated with hate crime victimization. In addition, neighborhood collective efficacy was related to lower risk for hate crime victimization. The results provide support for lifestyle-routine activities theory and social disorganization theory and contribute to our understanding of hate crime victimization.

The Code of the Street and Violent Versus Property Crime Victimization.

Previous research has shown that individuals who adopt values in line with the code of the street are more likely to experience violent victimization (e.g., Stewart, Schreck, & Simons, 2006). This study extends this literature by examining the relationship between the street code and multiple types of violent and property victimization. This research investigates the relationship between street code-related values and 4 types of victimization (assault, breaking and entering, theft, and vandalism) using Poisson-based multilevel regression models. Belief in the street code was associated with higher risk of experiencing assault, breaking and entering, and vandalism, whereas theft victimization was not related to the street code. The results suggest that the code of the street influences victimization broadly--beyond violence--by increasing behavior that provokes retaliation from others in various forms.