Paving a positive path: An evaluation of the Alachua County work release program.

Community Reintegration

April 2021

Full Citation

Rukus, J. (2014). Paving a positive path: An evaluation of the Alachua County work release program. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing.

Abstract

Work release programming is designed to serve as a bridge from incarceration to the labor market. Popular in the mid-20th century, work release programs have waned significantly over the last three decades with the advent of the "Get Tough on Crime" movement which put less emphasis on rehabilitation. Where work release still exists, it is normally prison-based. Only a few thousand jail inmates nationwide are given the opportunity to take part in such programming. Alachua County is one of the few counties which offer a jail-based work release program for qualified low-risk offenders. In this study, I examined the efficacy of the program. Based on both official records and interviews with both Alachua County Jail inmates and Alachua County Work release participants, I looked at efficacy from a number of different angles including implementation, graduation, i.e. successful program completion, and recidivism. I found the program had some implementation challenges. Regarding program completion, offenders who were non-Caucasian offenders, married, or had prior mental health histories were less likely to complete the program while offenders who were older or had been employed at the time their arrest were more likely to complete the program. Lastly, I found work release participants had a lower recidivism rate, but the difference was not significant. However, the gap between work release participants and jail inmates widened over time and could become significant if the current trend continues. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved)