Justice Community: An Evaluation of a Civic Engagement and Employment Program for Justice-Involved Young Adults

• In Event: Young Adults and Criminal Justice: Contexts of Violence, Community Justice, Jail, and Sentencing

Abstract

Justice involvement compounds an already tumultuous time in the life of a young adult, impacting employment, housing, and self-sufficiency. Vera conducted a process and outcome evaluation of Justice Community, a program of the New York City Department of Probation (DOP) for court-involved young adults (defined as 16-24 years old) to reduce barriers to gainful employment and access to education. The program engages young adults in their neighborhoods through community benefit projects, subsidized internships, case management, and educational programs on youth leadership, peer mentorship, and life skills. We will present findings from qualitative data of probation officers, program staff, young adults in the program, and program observations as well as quantitative findings on the impact of program and recidivism outcomes. A discussion of the findings and larger connections to policy and programming specific to this population will be discussed. The project was funded by the NYC Center for Economic Opportunity (CEO).

Author

• Jennifer Ferone, Vera Institute of Justice