This brief from the Vera Institute of Justice was developed in response to President Biden's 2022 Infrastructure Bill.

As the brief asserts, job training programs, especially those that prepare students for career-track industry jobs, are essential to set incarcerated people up for success post-release. Further, career-track jobs, with union memberships, benefits, and reliable and well-paying salaries, help reduce recidivism and ensure people with conviction histories can thrive.

This brief presents five case studies of state departments of corrections (DOCs) and their partners that have created robust job training programs that provide people who are incarcerated opportunities to earn industry-relevant credentials and prepare for in-demand careers after release.

Through these programs, combined with reentry preparation, DOCs and their partners are creating opportunities for people to return to the community job-ready, with relevant certifications and licenses, necessary identification and documentation, and connections to employers willing and ready to hire formerly incarcerated people.

Access this brief