Participation and dose-response effects of institutional vocational training on recidivism and employment

There is a growing body of research examining the effectiveness of institutional correctional rehabilitation, such as vocational training. However, much of the prior literature has found heterogeneous effects on recidivism and employment, and much of the previous work has focused on simple participation measures of vocational training. Few studies have examined vocational training dosage effects. In this study, we use data from a 2016–2018 Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) release cohort to distinguish between participation and dose-response effects of institutional vocational training on recidivism and employment, using fractional polynomial regressions and linear probability models. We utilize theoretical frameworks from multiple disciplines such as Sampson and Laub's (1993) age-graded theory of informal social control, signaling ( Spence, 1978 ), human capital ( Pyatt, 1966 ), and dose-response frameworks ( Lipsey, Landenberger, & Wilson, 2007 ) as potential explanations as to why vocational training may affect recidivism and employment. We find that simple participation in vocational training yields significant benefits for recidivism and employment. Meanwhile, there is little additional benefit as residents spend more hours in the vocational training program. Overall, our findings indicate that simply participating in vocational training assists in desistance and sends positive signals to prospective employers. • Participation in institutional vocational training was related to decreases in recidivism and increases in employment • There were no additional observable benefits of institutional vocational training as residents spent more hours in the program • Vocational training programs may help the formerly incarcerated reach key turning points assisting with desistance • Participation in vocational training may signal to employers that a former resident is a qualified applicant