Virtual Reality Job Interview Training for Adults Receiving Prison-Based Employment Services: A Randomized Controlled Feasibility and Initial Effectiveness Trial

Returning citizens struggle to obtain employment after release from prison and navigating job interviews is a critical barrier they encounter. Implementing evidence-based interview training is a major gap in prison-based vocational services. We conducted a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to evalua...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Smith, Matthew J. (Author) ; Parham, Brittani (Author) ; Mitchell, Jamie L. (Author) ; Blajeski, Shannon (Author) ; Harrington, Meghan (Author) ; Ross, Brittany (Author) ; Johnson, Jeffery (Author) ; Brydon, Daphne M. (Author) ; Johnson, Jennifer 1981- (Author) ; Cuddeback, Gary S. (Author) ; Smith, Justin D. (Author) ; Bell, Morris D. (Author) ; Mcgeorge, Robert (Author) ; Kaminski, Kyle (Author) ; Suganuma, Aaron (Author) ; Kubiak, Sheryl (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Published: 2023
In: Criminal justice and behavior
Year: 2023, Volume: 50, Issue: 2, Pages: 272-293
Online Access: Presumably Free Access
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Keywords:
Vocational rehabilitation
Employment
smart decarceration
job interviews
Virtual Reality
Description
Summary:Returning citizens struggle to obtain employment after release from prison and navigating job interviews is a critical barrier they encounter. Implementing evidence-based interview training is a major gap in prison-based vocational services. We conducted a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to evaluate the feasibility and initial effectiveness of Virtual Reality Job Interview Training (VR-JIT) within two prisons. Forty-four male returning citizens were randomized to receive service-as-usual (SAU) with VR-JIT (SAU + VR-JIT, n = 28) or SAU (n = 16). Participants reported VR-JIT was highly acceptable and usable. SAU + VR-JIT, compared with SAU, had significant improvements (with large effect sizes) in interview skills, interview training motivation, and interview anxiety (all p < .05; ηp2 > .15), and greater employment by 6-month follow-up (odds ratio [OR] = 7.4, p = .045). VR-JIT can potentially help fill a major gap in prison-based services. Future research is needed to validate VR-JIT effectiveness and evaluate VR-JIT implementation strategies within prisons.
ISSN:1552-3594
DOI:10.1177/00938548221081447