The project aims to generate rigorous evidence on the effects of Heartland Alliance?s Rapid Employment and Development Initiative (READI) Chicago, an intensive transitional jobs (TJ) and CBT program. READI Chicago will identify the individuals at highest risk of violence involvement in the community and among those re-entering it from jail and prison using a combination of outreach workers? expertise and predictive analytics. Outreach workers will seek out those assigned to the treatment group, forge trusting relationships, and help them connect to READI?s TJ and CBT providers. READI participants will be offered job placements for 18 months on work crews in sectors with few barriers to employment and will receive extensive support from on-the-job supervisors. As a requirement for employment, they will attend regular skill building sessions paid at the same rate as their transitional job covering topics including CBT, job search assistance, career counseling, and a support group. The researchers will conduct a pilot, then full-scale randomized controlled trial of the intervention, tracking both treatment and control groups in a range of administrative data. They will also assist with documenting implementation and collecting qualitative information on program experiences.
