Post-Release Interview Topic Guide

^{Interview guide for post-release program participants}

Pathway Home Grant Program Evaluation

April 2022

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interview guide for post-release program participants

Thank you for meeting with me today. My name is _____, and I work for Mathematica /Social Policy Research Associates/Council of State Governments. I am visiting as part of an evaluation of the [grantee-specific program name] you are participating in and many other programs like it around the country. The U.S. Department of Labor is funding these programs and the evaluation. The goal of the evaluation is to learn about how these programs help people with justice involvement reenter the community and connect to training, education, and work. I have some questions for you today about being in this program, and I want to hear about your suggestions for improving it.

Before we begin, let me explain how we will use the information you share with us. We will not share the information with anyone outside the study team. That means we will never discuss our conversation with the people or organizations that provide services to you, such as [name of organization]. We will also keep your information private, to the extent allowed by law. As such, we will never use your name or other identifying information in our reports. Although we might include quotes, we will do so in a way that no one can tell who is being quoted. With that said, please feel free to be open and honest in your answers. Your participation in this interview is completely voluntary, and you do not have to answer any question you do not wish to answer.

As you may have noticed, you have a consent form in front of you. I am going to read the form aloud and then ask you to sign the form if you agree to participate.

[Note: Read the form verbatim. Ask if the participant has any questions, and answer questions accordingly. Ask the participant to sign the form. As you collect the consent form, check that it is complete. If not, confirm that the participant did not make a mistake. If the participant does not want to complete the form, excuse them from the interview.]

We expect this discussion to take about one hour. Also, for your time, we plan to provide you with a $50 gift card.

Do you have any questions before we begin?

I would like to record the discussion to make sure I do not miss anything you say. The notes and recording will not be used for any other purpose or shared with anyone outside the study team. Do you have any objections to recording this conversation?

[If participant consents:] I will turn on the recording now, but let me know if you would like me to stop recording at any time.

For our records, can you please indicate if you consent to this interview?

Interview guide topic areas

A. Participant Background

• Name (or pseudonym)

• Length of involvement with program

• Educational background and prior work experience and/or current employment or training status

B. Pre-release Services

• How participants found out about the program

• Motivation to participate in Pathway Home program

• Types of services that were offered to participants (e.g., training and skills development, case management, supportive services, etc.)

• Length of participation in services

• Experience with pre-release program services

• Relationship with case manager

• Receipt of certificate or credential

• Helpfulness of case management services

C. Transition to Post-release Services

• Information shared by facility for reentry

• Structure of “hand-off” of participants at the time of their release to the community-based program services

• Experience working with same case manager pre- and post-release

• Experience with referrals to reentry services outside of Pathway Home

• Challenges and what worked well in transition

D. Post-Release Services

• Types of employment-related services that were offered in the Pathway Home program post-release

• Typical sequence of services for participants

• Customization of services offered

• Other supports or wraparound services (e.g., housing assistance, legal assistance, substance abuse treatment, etc.) offered

• Receipt of credential or certificates

• Experience with occupational training

• Incentives for participation and engagement with program

• Challenges accessing services

• Services received outside of Pathway Home

• Whether services were helpful

• Plans to continue receiving services from program

• Participant trust of program staff

E. Participant Experiences with Employment Services and Outcomes

• Current living situation

• Experience with job search after release

• Challenges faced while searching for work

• Challenges and what worked well with the job search

• Whether participants obtained employment and if they are satisfied with it

• Job retention services

• Common challenges to retaining employment

F. Reflections on Program

• Most/least valuable services under the PH grant and from other sources

• Recommendations for running similar programs

• Overall satisfaction with program

• Overall satisfaction with pre-release services

• Overall satisfaction with post-release services