Investigators will execute a mixed methods randomized controlled trial to determine the impacts of cash transfers of $1,000 per month for one month followed by $750 for eleven months. Investigators will measure the impacts of the cash transfers on physical and mental health, housing stability, healthcare utilization, financial stability, and interactions with the criminal legal system.
The transition from incarceration to community reintegration represents a finite time period of unique challenges, often exacerbated by fines and other structural constraints associated with limited access to housing, the workforce, and public benefits. As such, individuals exiting prisons are most vulnerable for recidivism and other poor wellbeing outcomes during the initial period after their release. The project will enroll approximately 200 individuals in the Omaha, NE area to receive cash transfers over a one year period. Another 250 will be assigned to the control group and will not receive the cash transfers but will be eligible to participate in research activities. Adults exiting Nebraska state prisons will be eligible to participate if they are exiting prison during the specified time frame and do not have a conviction of a sex crime or homicide. Longitudinal repeated measures will be utilized through surveys conducted at baseline, 6 months, 12 months, and 18 month intervals. Future involvement with the criminal legal system will be measured using linked administrative data from the Department of Corrections. A select group of 30 participants across study groups will also be invited to participate in in-depth interviews with a CGIR research scientist and team at multiple time points.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
450
Provision on monthly cash transfer
Recidivism
As applied to adults, recidivism shall mean a final conviction of a Class I or II misdemeanor, a Class IV felony or above, or a Class W misdemeanor based on a violation of state law or an ordinance of any city or village enacted in conformance with state law, within 1 year of being successfully released.
Time frame: 1 year following release date
Post-release compliance with payment of fees
Compliance/non-compliance with post-release payment of fees. A count of fee payments (continuous) and on-time payment as a binary outcome variable (y/n) for each instance.
Time frame: 1 year post release date or for the duration of required supervision, whichever is sooner
Post-release compliance with probation officer meetings
Compliance/non-compliance with post-release attendance of meetings with probation officer. A count of meetings (continuous) and attendance at meetings (y/n) for each instance.
Time frame: 1 year post release date or for the duration of required supervision, whichever is sooner
Housing status
Housing status (e.g., renter, homeowner, rent-to-own, etc.) reported in the prior month.
Time frame: Baseline, 6 months, 12 months
Food security (Household Food Insecurity Access Scale)
9 items to assess past four week food insecurity: 1) worry about not having enough food, 2) inability to eat preferred foods, 3) eating a limited variety of foods, 4) having to eat foods that they did not want to eat, 5) eating a smaller meal than needed, 6) eating fewer meals in a day, 7) having no food to eat, 8) going to sleep at night hungry, and 9) going a whole day and night without eating. Items scored as "yes" (1) or "no" (0).
Time frame: Baseline, 6 months, 12 months
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Employment
Employment status as measured by one item with attributes per the U.S. Department of Labor.
Time frame: Baseline, 6 months, 12 months
Financial wellbeing (Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Financial Wellbeing Scale)
Each item is scored 0 to 4 and summed to a total. The sum total is then converted to a total response value on the CFPB Financial Well-Being Scale score from 0-100, where higher scores indicate a greater sense of financial well-being.
Time frame: Baseline, 6 months, 12 months
Psychological distress (Kessler 6)
Each item is scored from zero "none of the time" to four "all of the time." Scores of the 6 items are then summed, yielding a minimum score of 0 and a maximum score of 24. Low scores indicate low levels of psychological distress and high scores indicate high levels of psychological distress.
Time frame: Baseline, 6 months, 12 months
General health
Self-reported general health as measured by one question from the SF-36: "In general, would you say your health is:", with a 5-point scale from Poor to Excellent.
Time frame: Baseline, 6 months, 12 months
Substance use (UNCOPE)
Six items, each scored 0 (no) or 1 (yes). A score of two or more indicates possible substance misuse.
Time frame: Baseline, 6 months, 12 months