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

Abstract

AbstractThere 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.

Department(s)

School of Criminology

Document Type

Article

DOI

10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2026.102618

Keywords

Employment, Institutional corrections, Recidivism, Signals, Turning points, Vocational training

Publication Date

3-1-2026

Journal Title

Journal of Criminal Justice

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