Study Details | Pathways to Work

101054-Study of Minnesota V

Study quality:

Moderate

Reason for the rating: This study received a moderate study quality rating because it is a quasi-experimental design that establishes that the program and comparison groups are similar at baseline and adjusts impact estimates to account for any minor differences in the groups.

Program: Minnesota Vocational Education for Incarcerated People

Characteristics of study participants:

At least a high school diploma or equivalent, Justice involvement

Services provided:

Occupational or sectoral training, Soft skills training

Setting: Tested in multiple settings

Methods and Standards Protocol version used for review: Version 2.0

Learn about our protocol

Study design

Design:

Quasi-experimental design

Study group formation:

Vocational programs were available in all Minnesota state prison facilities for anyone who had a high school diploma or GED prior to enrollment. Additional eligibility requirements were imposed on a case-by-case basis and typically included reviews of prior educational achievement, work history, and anticipated employability after release. The study used a quasi-experimental propensity score matching design with exact matching to construct a comparison group comprised of individuals released during the same time period who did not complete the program. Among a pool of 928 incarcerated individuals who had completed a vocational program and were released in 2019 or 2020 and 6,941 non-completers eligible for vocational programming also released in 2019 or 2020, 652 vocational program completers were matched to 652 comparison group members.

Time period of study:

The study ran from 2019 to 2022. The study included individuals released in 2019 or 2020. The study analyzed follow-up data from post-release through January 2022, with an average follow-up period of 18 months, ranging between one and three years.

Primary outcome domains examined:

Increase short-term earnings, Increase short-term employment

Other outcome domains examined:

Recidivism

Study funded by:

The study indicated that the author did not receive any funding specific to this study.

Results

View table definitions

Scroll to the right to view the rest of the table columns

Outcome domain	Measure	Timing	Study quality by finding	Comparison group mean	Program group mean	Impact	Units	Findings	Sample size
Increase short-term earnings	Annual earnings	Month 18	Moderate	8,460.00	9,320.00	860.00	2021 dollars		1,304
Increase short-term employment	Employed at any time in follow-up period	Month 18	Moderate	58.00	61.50	3.50	percentage points		1,304

Short-term outcomes are those measured 18 months or fewer after participants are first offered services. Long-term outcomes are those measured between 18 months and 5 years after participants are first offered services. Very long-term outcomes are those measured 5 years or more after participants are first offered services.

Means are not displayed when not reported or not aligned with the impact estimates. For example, if the impact estimate is regression-adjusted but only unadjusted means are reported in the study, the unadjusted means are not displayed as they are not aligned with the adjusted impact estimate.

Impact estimates are not shown when the estimate units cannot be converted to natural units.

Findings quality key:

High
Moderate

Study quality terms?

The findings quality describe our confidence that a given study’s finding is because of the program. We do not display findings that rate low.

Findings key:

A moderate-to-large favorable finding that is unlikely to be due to chance
A moderate-to-large favorable finding that might to be due to chance
A small favorable finding that is unlikely to be due to chance
A small favorable finding that might be due to chance
A favorable finding that is unlikely to be due to chance, but we cannot determine the standardized effect size
A favorable finding that might be due to chance, but we cannot determine the standardized effect size
A moderate-to-large unfavorable finding that is unlikely to be due to chance
A moderate-to-large unfavorable finding that might to be due to chance
A small unfavorable finding that is unlikely to be due to chance
A small unfavorable finding that might be due to chance
An unfavorable finding that is unlikely to be due to chance, but we cannot determine the standardized effect size
An unfavorable finding that might be due to chance, but we cannot determine the standardized effect size
A finding that is unlikely to be due to chance, but we cannot determine the standardized effect size or direction
A finding of no effect that might be due to chance

Favorable findings are impacts in a direction that is socially desirable. Statistical significance indicates the likelihood that a study finding is due to the program, rather than due to chance. Findings are described as moderate-to-large if the program produced a sufficiently large change in the outcome. An impact receives this designation if the standardized effect size is equal to or greater than 0.25 or equal to or less than -0.25.

Sample characteristics

Study participants were individuals in Minnesota state prison facilities who had a high school diploma or equivalency prior to enrollment. Most participants (92 percent) were male. The average participant was 36 years old.

Age

Mean age

36 years

Sex

Female	8%
Male	92%

Race and ethnicity

White

59%

The race and ethnicity categories may sum to more than 100 percent if the authors reported race and ethnicity separately; in these cases, we report the category White, rather than White, not Hispanic.

Education

Had a high school diploma or GED

100%

Specific employment barriers

Were involved with the justice system

100%

Program implementation

Implementing organization:

Minnesota Department of Corrections

Program history:

Minnesota Department of Corrections facilities have offered vocational programs since 2018.

Program services:

The program group consisted of individuals released from Minnesota Department of Corrections facilities between 2019 and 2020 who completed vocational training programs while incarcerated. Available vocational education programs included barbering and cosmetology, construction, manufacturing, mechanical design and drafting, business management, and computer careers. Instructors were required to be certified by the Minnesota Correctional Education Center.

Mandatory services:

None

Comparison services:

The comparison group consisted of individuals released from Minnesota Department of Corrections facilities between 2019 and 2020 who did not complete vocational training programs while incarcerated. The comparison group could receive standard services available to individuals in Minnesota Department of Corrections facilities.

Service receipt duration:

The study did not provide information about the duration of program services.

Program funding:

The study did not describe the source of program funding.

Study publications

McNeeley, Susan (2023). The effects of vocational education on recidivism and employment among individuals released before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology 67(15): 1547-1564. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/0306624X231159886

View the glossary for more information about these and other terms used on this page.

Pathways to Work refers to programs by the names used in study reports or manuscripts. Some program names may use language that is not consistent with our style guide, preferences, or the terminology we use to describe populations.

Study of Minnesota Vocational Education for Incarcerated People