Roundtable: Bridging Research and Practice - Using Data and Evaluation to Strengthen Workforce Development in Reentry

Session Submission Type: Roundtable Sessions

Abstract/Description

Each year, thousands of individuals are released from prisons and reenter communities with aspirations of securing meaningful employment. While numerous programs and studies aim to support their workforce reintegration, fewer initiatives are explicitly focused on leveraging data and evaluation to improve workforce development strategies. This roundtable brings together researchers and practitioners to explore how employment-related data can inform reentry programming and policy. Discussions will address national employment trends and regional labor market variation, highlight evidence-based and promising practices for supporting justice-involved individuals, and critically examine the strengths and limitations of different evaluation methodologies. The panel will also consider how employment outcomes intersect with desistance processes, offering insights on how workforce development can serve as a pathway toward long-term reintegration. 

Sub Unit

• Area XIV. Roundtables

Chair

• Ryan Spohn, University of Nebraska Omaha

Co-Authors

• Katelynn Towne, University of Nebraska Omaha

• Trevor Fronius, WestEd Justice and Prevention Research Center

Discussant

• Robert Vehock, Louisiana Department of Public Safety & Corrections