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Backgrounds <p>Returning citizens have low employment rates after release from prison. Successfully navigating job interviews is a critical barrier to getting a job for returning citizens, and there are no evidence-based job interview training practices in corrections.</p> Design and methods <p>We partnered with two prisons to conduct a pragmatic intention-to-treat randomized controlled trial that evaluated whether <i>Virtual Reality Job Interview Training</i> (<i>VR-JIT, an online job interview simulator</i>) improved post-release employment outcomes among returning citizens who completed <i>VR-JIT&#xa0;</i>while enrolled in a pre-release, trades-focused employment readiness program called the Vocational Villages (VV). Participants (<i>N</i> = 101) were randomized 2:1 to receive VV service-as-usual with <i>VR-JIT</i> (VV + <i>VR-JIT</i>, <i>n</i> = 66) or VV (<i>n</i> = 35).</p> Results <p>The VV + <i>VR-JIT</i> group, as compared to the VV group, had significantly greater odds of obtaining employment within 6&#xa0;months of their release (OR = 3.76, <i>p</i> = 0.032) and obtaining this employment more quickly (HR = 1.62, <i>p</i> = 0.037). VV + <i>VR-JIT</i>, as compared to VV, significantly improved job interview skills (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.001) and job interview motivation (<i>p</i> = 0.035). Study groups did not differ with respect to their recidivism rate at a 6-month follow-up (0.0% vs. 3.1%, <i>p</i> &gt; 0.10).</p> Conclusions <p>This study suggests that a pragmatic <i>VR-JIT</i> implementation was associated with improved employment outcomes among returning citizens engaged in prison-based employment services. Thus, implementing <i>VR-JIT</i> within vocational services could bridge a critical gap in employment readiness, thereby helping returning citizens to overcome barriers to employment. Future research is needed to expand <i>VR-JIT</i>’s external validity in other correctional settings and identify evidence-based strategies to optimize the delivery of <i>VR-JIT</i> within prison-based employment readiness programs.</p> Trial registration <p>ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03937128.</p>

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A pragmatic randomized controlled trial of virtual reality job interview training in prison employment services

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2025年8月5日

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  • Matthew J. Smith,
  • Meghan Harrington,
  • Brittany Ross,
  • Camille R. Quinn,
  • Lady Perez Musan,
  • Daphne M. Brydon,
  • Jennifer E. Johnson,
  • Gary S. Cuddeback,
  • Justin D. Smith,
  • James L. Merle,
  • Jane K. Burke-Miller,
  • Neil Jordan,
  • Morris D. Bell,
  • Brian Friedman,
  • Pamela Kryscio,
  • Aaron Suganuma

摘要

Backgrounds

Returning citizens have low employment rates after release from prison. Successfully navigating job interviews is a critical barrier to getting a job for returning citizens, and there are no evidence-based job interview training practices in corrections.

Design and methods

We partnered with two prisons to conduct a pragmatic intention-to-treat randomized controlled trial that evaluated whether Virtual Reality Job Interview Training (VR-JIT, an online job interview simulator) improved post-release employment outcomes among returning citizens who completed VR-JIT while enrolled in a pre-release, trades-focused employment readiness program called the Vocational Villages (VV). Participants (N = 101) were randomized 2:1 to receive VV service-as-usual with VR-JIT (VV + VR-JIT, n = 66) or VV (n = 35).

Results

The VV + VR-JIT group, as compared to the VV group, had significantly greater odds of obtaining employment within 6 months of their release (OR = 3.76, p = 0.032) and obtaining this employment more quickly (HR = 1.62, p = 0.037). VV + VR-JIT, as compared to VV, significantly improved job interview skills (p < 0.001) and job interview motivation (p = 0.035). Study groups did not differ with respect to their recidivism rate at a 6-month follow-up (0.0% vs. 3.1%, p > 0.10).

Conclusions

This study suggests that a pragmatic VR-JIT implementation was associated with improved employment outcomes among returning citizens engaged in prison-based employment services. Thus, implementing VR-JIT within vocational services could bridge a critical gap in employment readiness, thereby helping returning citizens to overcome barriers to employment. Future research is needed to expand VR-JIT’s external validity in other correctional settings and identify evidence-based strategies to optimize the delivery of VR-JIT within prison-based employment readiness programs.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03937128.