Aboriginal women offenders use of aboriginal-specific staff for reintegration purposes

Among Aboriginal offenders, participating in a work release (WR) contributes positively to community reintegration. Participating in at least one WR was associated with reductions in unemployment post-release, and the more WRs the offender participated in, the greater the benefits.

Approximately 2.5% of Aboriginal offenders participated in a WR during their sentence. Overall, 81% of Aboriginal offenders who had a WR found employment in the community within 2 years of release, compared to 47% of Aboriginal offenders who did not have a WR. After controlling for risk-relevant differences between the two groups, participating in a WR significantly reduced the odds of unemployment by 64%. There was also a significant dosage effect: the more work releases the offender participated in, the greater the benefits in terms of post-release employment.