Employer Partnerships That Hire Graduates of Correctional Training Programs

When someone walks out of prison, they don’t just need a second chance-they need a real job. And not just any job. A job that pays, sticks, and helps them rebuild their life. That’s where employer partnerships with correctional training programs come in. These aren’t charity efforts. They’re smart, data-backed strategies that cut recidivism, lower taxpayer costs, and fill critical labor gaps-all at once.

Why This Works: The Numbers Don’t Lie

Let’s cut through the noise. If you’re an employer wondering whether hiring someone with a criminal record is risky, look at the facts. A meta-analysis of eight studies found that people who completed vocational training in prison were 34% more likely to be employed after release than those who didn’t. That’s not a small bump. That’s a game-changer.

And it gets better. The RAND Corporation found that those who took vocational training were 28% more likely to find work. But here’s the kicker: when they combined vocational training with academic education-like earning a GED or taking college-level courses-they were 63% more likely to be employed. That’s more than double the odds.

Wages jump too. In Maryland and Minnesota, people who took any kind of education program while incarcerated earned nearly $7,200 more per year than those who didn’t. That’s not a bonus. That’s a living wage. And in Ohio, inmates who completed a multi-year degree program saw employment rates 168% higher than their peers without education.

Who’s Actually Getting Trained? The Real Pipeline

Every year, over 600,000 people are released from U.S. prisons. Half of them will be out in less than two years. That’s a steady stream of people ready to work-if they’ve been prepared.

Here’s the hard truth: 75% of state prisoners didn’t finish high school. That’s three times the rate of the general population. Before prison, only about 35% of them had steady jobs. Now, imagine walking out with nothing but a criminal record and no skills. You’re not just facing stigma-you’re facing impossible odds.

But correctional facilities aren’t empty classrooms. In federal prisons, 94% offer vocational training. State prisons? 56%. Local jails? 44%. The most common fields? Construction, transportation, health care, and materials handling. These aren’t flashy jobs. They’re essential ones. And they’re in demand.

How Employers Are Actually Doing This

You don’t need to reinvent the wheel. Several programs have already proven the model works.

• Work Release Programs: These let people work during the day and return to prison at night. Research shows they boost job hours, wages, and retention. One Minnesota program saved $700 per participant annually-totaling $350,000 in avoided costs. The return on investment? Over $11 for every dollar spent.
• LEAP (Linking Education and Post-release): This program connects pre-release training with post-release job support. Eighty-five percent of participants improved their job readiness. After one year, recidivism dropped to 20%-well below the 22% target.
• EMPLOY Program: This initiative paired training with direct employer connections. Participants were more likely to get hired and stay hired. It saved $2.8 million a year, with a $6.45 return for every dollar invested.
• SCA (Sustainable Communities Alternatives): Participants earned an average of $1,800 more per year than nonparticipants. That’s a 70% increase in earnings.

These aren’t outliers. They’re replicable. And they all share one thing: employers weren’t just asked to “be nice.” They were given a clear value proposition: trained, motivated workers who stick around.

What Employers Actually Get

Let’s be real. Most employers don’t care about rehabilitation. They care about productivity, turnover, and reliability.

Here’s what they get when they hire correctional training graduates:

• Lower turnover: People who’ve completed training programs are highly motivated. They know this is their shot. Studies show they stay in jobs longer than the average hire.
• Better safety records: Contrary to myth, people with criminal records aren’t more likely to steal or cause workplace accidents. In fact, many employers report they’re more cautious and dependable.
• Cost savings: Every person who doesn’t reoffend saves taxpayers thousands in incarceration, court, and policing costs. That’s money that stays in the community.
• Access to underutilized talent: The U.S. has millions of open jobs. Many are in skilled trades. These programs are filling pipelines that employers can’t fill otherwise.

Barriers-And How to Overcome Them

Of course, it’s not all smooth sailing. The biggest roadblock? The record itself.

Many employers still screen out applicants with any criminal history-even if it’s decades old or nonviolent. But here’s the shift happening: more states are adopting ban the box policies. Some are also offering tax credits for hiring formerly incarcerated workers.

But you don’t need legislation to act. You just need to change how you look at the resume.

Instead of asking, “Did they go to prison?” ask: “Did they earn a welding certificate? Did they complete 120 hours of OSHA training? Did they show up every day for six months?”

One Oregon employer started hiring graduates from a prison carpentry program. Within a year, they had a 90% retention rate. Their manager said: “They show up early. They don’t quit. They treat the tools like they’re sacred.”

What You Can Do Right Now

If you’re an employer, here’s how to start:

1. Contact your state’s correctional education office. They have lists of completed programs and graduates ready to work.
2. Visit a facility. Attend a graduation. Talk to the instructors. See the work firsthand.
3. Start with one position. Don’t try to hire 10 people at once. Start with a single role-maybe a warehouse helper, a janitorial position, or a construction assistant.
4. Offer on-the-job training. Pair your new hire with a mentor. Give them structure. They’ll thrive.
5. Share your story. Tell other employers. Break the stigma. One hire can spark a chain reaction.

If you’re a community leader, advocate, or nonprofit worker: connect employers with training programs. Don’t wait for policy. Build the bridge yourself.

It’s Not About Mercy. It’s About Mechanics.

This isn’t a feel-good story. It’s a systems fix. We’ve got a pipeline of people trained in high-demand skills. We’ve got jobs that need filling. We’ve got data showing this works.

Every person who gets hired after prison is one less person in the system. One less family torn apart. One more taxpaying, contributing member of the community.

And for employers? It’s not a risk. It’s a strategy.