Making the successful transition to adulthood has become increasingly difficult for many young people in the United States, particularly for those without a college education. Those without a high school degree face even tougher prospects, with especially high unemployment rates and falling wages. A typical worker without a high school diploma…

In this report, we present the results of a thought experiment in which we estimated the potential costs and benefits to society of achieving equality in educational attainment and related workforce outcomes by race/ethnicity, class, and gender. We conducted this thought experiment to clarify the role that education can play in reducing…

The current paper critically reviews the Risk-Need-Responsivity (RNR) and Good Lives Model (GLM) approaches to correctional treatment. Research, or the lack thereof, is discussed in terms of whether there is a need for a new model of offender rehabilitation. We argue that although there is a wealth of research in support of RNR approaches, there…

A modified version of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation's Money Smart financial training program was provided for 14 exonerees in an urban Texas setting, in preparation for receiving their compensation awards relating to their wrongful convictions. Researchers sought to investigate the usefulness of the modified program in assisting in the…

Higher Education in Europe has undergone massive changes due to technological advancements and adjustments resulting from the Bologna Process, by which learning should be accessible for all regardless of social exclusion reasons, such as imprisonment. The resulting massification of access to Higher Education requires flexible and inclusive…

This document is part of a Bridgespan Group research project that focused on the question: "How could a philanthropist make the biggest improvement on social mobility with an investment of $1 billion?" In answering this question, the authors have sought to understand "what matters most" for improving social mobility outcomes.…

Indiana, Oklahoma, and Washington each have programs designed to address college enrollment gaps by offering a promise of state-based college financial aid to low-income middle school students in exchange for making a pledge to do well in high school, be a good citizen, not be convicted of a felony, and apply for financial aid to college. Using a…

Vast arrays of research have evaluated recidivism through a limited scope, analyzing various factors independently. This study endeavors to execute a systematic review of factors attributed to recidivism in order to focus the research trajectory toward the most promising recidivism reduction tool. Various risk factors of recidivism have been…

Federal investments in education are crucial to preventing youth from entering the criminal justice system and to reducing youth violence and criminal activity. Promoting access to cradle-to-career education is one of the foremost strategies for preventing youth violence and delinquency. Long-term studies of programs nationwide have found that…

With the goal of motivating a broader swath of philanthropists to make well-informed, actionable "big bets" to catalyze social change, The Bridgespan Group launched an ambitious research project in partnership with Bridgespan Fellow Jim Shelton. The intent: determine how private donors can best invest to increase upward social mobility…

Our purpose herein is to demonstrate how restorative justice continues to unfold globally and we explain how the use of a restorative justice ideology and intervention leads to a common alternative, not only in criminal justice institutions, but also within social agencies, such as elementary schools, and the related social support systems. We…

Some or all of the pre-release educational and vocational programs that are offered in state and federal prisons are free. Though these inmates are required to participate in these programs before they re-enter society, their attitudes regarding their participation in these programs are mixed. This study reveals literature of what attitudes some…

This report presents findings from the "CalYOUTH Wave 4 Youth Survey." CalYOUTH (the California Youth Transitions to Adulthood Study), is an evaluation of the impact of the California Fostering Connections to Success Act on outcomes during foster youth's transition to adulthood. CalYOUTH includes collection and analysis of information…

In criminal justice terms, time is a commodity used to punish transgressors. However, we examine time from the perspective of the prisoner's lived experiences--not how time is done to prisoners but what prisoners do with time--and describe ways time serves as both a constructive resource and an obstacle to growth and learning. Our project applies…

Self-esteem is vital to a law-abiding lifestyle and serves to promote successful rehabilitative and reintegrative outcomes, particularly for female offenders often plagued by low levels of self-worth. Prison-based program administrators have the opportunity to achieve their intended programmatic goals while offenders are incarcerated, in addition…