Career PATHS
Locations
- Indiana Department of Corrections, Indiana
- Televerde Foundation, Arizona
Focus Area
- Criminal Justice
"Our approach develops self-efficacy by inspiring creativity, imagination, self-confidence, and social skills while addressing the issues that cause recidivism. We enable women to break the cycle of poverty and incarceration by becoming positive role models to change the lives of future generations and build stronger communities." - Televerde Foundation
The Issue
As of 2024, there are approximately 190,600 women incarcerated in the U.S., making up roughly 10% of the total incarcerated population. Globally, female incarceration has grown at nearly three times the rate of male incarceration since 2000—rising around 60%, compared to 22% for men. In the U.S., women are disproportionately held in local jails—over 60% of incarcerated women in jails are awaiting trial, compared to state prisons. This pattern is compounded by high rates of recidivism: past studies estimate that, within three years of release, 58% of formerly incarcerated women are rearrested, while 38% are reconvicted and 30% return to prison.
The Intervention
Televerde Foundation’s Career PATHS program targets the problem of recidivism by providing incarcerated women with personal and professional development programs. The program includes personal development, financial literacy, and professional certification opportunities, with continued support after release through peer mentoring and housing assistance. Their program aims to develop self-efficacy and practical workforce credentials that allow women to flourish when they reenter society.
Research Question
- Does participation in the Televerde Foundation’s Career PATHS program reduce recidivism rates among participants?
- Does participation in the Televerde Foundation’s Career PATHS program improve employment and earnings outcomes for incarcerated women after their release?
Intended Outcomes
LEO and Televerde are partnering to evaluate the impact of the Career PATHS program on recidivism among participants. This will be measured at six months, one year, two years, and three years after program completion. This data will be collected by linking participants in DOC records in Indiana and Arizona. LEO will also track key outcomes including employment status and quarterly earnings improvements, as well as improvements in credit scores and the number of people obtaining a mortgage.
Research Study Design
LEO plans to evaluate the impact of Televerde’s Career PATHS program through a randomized control trial (RCT). The program currently operates in Perryville Correctional Institute (AZ), Rockville Women’s Prison (IN), and Madison Correctional Facility (IN), serving approximately 107 incarcerated women across two cohorts.
To support rigorous evaluation, Televerde will implement a lottery-based enrollment process. Because demand for the program exceeds available participation, eligible individuals will be randomly assigned to either a treatment group or control group. Participants assigned to the treatment group will receive six months of holistic reentry preparation through Career PATHS. The curriculum includes individual and group sessions in professional development, financial literacy, and anger management. Participants may also earn industry-recognized credentials and certifications through Arizona State University and Ivy Tech Community College. Upon release, Career PATHS graduates will receive limited post-release support, including care packages, housing assistance, and peer mentoring via the PATHS Reentry program.
Participants assigned to the control group will not participate in Career PATHS but will be referred to other reentry or vocational programs available within their facilities. If employed post-release, they will remain eligible for PATHS Reentry services.
This RCT will allow LEO to generate causal evidence on the effectiveness of Career PATHS in improving post-incarceration employment and reentry outcomes.