In March of 2021, the Bureau of Justice Statistics reported that around 38% of currently incarcerated people have some sort of disability: nearly one in four has a cognitive disability. In the first year after release, 45% of people in this population report no earnings.
Employers are frequently hesitant to hire formerly incarcerated job seekers; however, recent economic shifts have created opportunities for people who are disabled and have criminal background. VR professionals can equip people with the necessary job skills to be successful.
Access Training and Professional Development
- TAC-QE: Working with VR Customers with Criminal Backgrounds Video Training
- TAC-QE: Reentry and Rehabilitation Counseling – TACQE U Video Training
- VCU-RRTC: Employment for Individuals with Disabilities with Criminal Records – Video Training
- VCU-RRTC: Overcoming Job Barriers Facing Vets With Criminal Records – Video Training
A study of the formerly incarcerated found that employment was the single most important factor in decreasing recidivism.
More Facts About People with Criminal Backgrounds and Employment
Recidivism rates were cut nearly in half for returning citizens with a full-time job compared to similar inmates who are unemployed.
Articles
- Criminal Histories and RSA-911 Data: The Effect on Employment Outcomes for People of Color Receiving VR Services
- Traumatic Brain Injury in Prisons and Jails: An Unrecognized Problem
- Higher Education for Ex-Offenders: Thinking Beyond the Box
- Recidivism and Reentry What makes people more or less likely to succeed upon release? Prison Policy has curated virtually all the research about reentry and recidivism available online.
- Ex-offender Employment from the National Justice Institute.
More Resources Focused on Working with People with Criminal Backgrounds
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