| When incarcerated youth -- those with and those without disabilities -- face the prospect of reentering the community, they have many obstacles to overcome. Employment requirements are often associated with terms of parole or aftercare. Those who fail to obtain and maintain employment often reenter the juvenile justice system instead of successfully reentering society. Research shows employment is critical for successful transition from incarceration back in to the community. Limited information is available about programs that positively impact post-incarceration employment for juveniles, however. Practitioners face the challenge of selecting effective curriculum, interventions, or supports. Unfortunately, the current knowledge base provides limited guidance about teaching employability and social skills to incarcerated youth. This study evaluated one instructional program, Ready for W.A.G.E.S., that teaches competencies for employability and social skills to incarcerated youth for the purposes of easing reentry. This instructional program was evaluated using a quasi-experimental, wait list control design with a sample of 22 incarcerated youth in one long-term juvenile justice facility. The results are varied, with the standardized instruments showing no statistically significant findings, but the qualitative evidence showing significant impact. Changes were made to the Ready for W.A.G.E.S. instructional program as a result of this study. |
