These reports examine the implementation of and results from the Newark Prisoner Re-entry Initiative replication (NPRIR). The Prisoner Reentry Initiative (PRI) model was designed to help ex-offenders make successful transitions to paid employment and involved intensive case management, assistance with work readiness, job search, job placement, and two distinctive features: 1) the provision of mentoring and 2) the use of faith-based and community organizations to deliver services. The Newark replication was intended to bring the PRI model to scale by funding multiple organizations in a single city. With the ETA grant and a $2 million match from the Nicholson Foundation, the City of Newark used local service providers and collaborated with multiple state and local partners to provide services to over 1,400 ex-offenders. The interim report describes the six organizations that received funding, the services provided, collaboration with other agencies, administrative challenges, and clients’ initial experiences. The final report provides detailed information on project services, partnerships, management, and leadership as well as quantitative information on participants and their outcomes.

The research involved use of qualitative data collected through three rounds of intensive four-day site visits and phone reconnaissance, while quantitative data on participant outcomes were collected from the PRI management information system and from state agencies (including the Unemployment Insurance system and the New Jersey Department of Corrections, among others). The analysis of the quantitative data involved exploring patterns among participants and services in the NPRIR and comparing them to those in other PRI demonstration projects.

Key findings. Consistent with the PRI model, the primary services NPRIR participants received were case management, workforce preparation, and mentoring. With one exception, all providers also offered mentoring, (as required by the PRI model), but most mentoring was provided on a group (not a one-on-one) basis, and a number of participants did not utilize mentoring. Education and training activities (e.g., math and reading remediation, GED preparation, occupational skills training, on-the-job training, and unpaid work experience) were offered to small numbers of participants. Overall, NPRIR project participants were able to achieve similar or better outcomes than participants in a prior Newark PRI project despite a worsened labor market. Sixty-two percent of participants were placed in unsubsidized employment. On average, NPRIR participants earned $9.13 per hour in their first employment placements. Approximately 29 percent of participants recidivated; most were arrested for a new crime rather than for a violation of community supervision.