Mixed Signals: Employment Training Outcomes for Previously Incarcerated Individuals

Research from Professors Tristan Nighswander and Ariel Roddy at Northern Arizona University examines the effects of pre-employment training on employment outcomes for previously incarcerated individuals through the lens of two economic theories. Their findings reveal that while training significantly improves employment outcomes for the general population, it shows no meaningful benefit for those with incarceration histories. Even more surprisingly, high-ability individuals (defined through scores on an aptitude test called the Armed Forces Qualification Test, or the AFQT) with past incarceration may actually experience negative employment effects. This highlights the complex challenges of societal re-entry.