Describe the program's most important achievements and lessons learned:
Achievements
PRI has enrolled 8,108 participants as of the June 30, 2007 reporting period. Grantees report an average hourly wage at placement for participants of $9.36/hour and recidivism is currently at 13 percent, well below the national average of 22 percent. However, with only five full quarters of service, there is not yet enough information for many of the long-term performance indicators. The PRI program is currently being evaluated but the final report is not yet complete. Youthful offender grants are serving large numbers of youth each year in high-crime communities. We estimate that over 9,000 youth are served by these grants each year at an average cost of about $6,250 per youth per year. There have been process evaluations conducted of the youthful offender grants. Additionally, DOL and DOJ are currently conducting a formal random assignment evaluation of the Florida Avon Park youth correctional facility. This evaluation will inform public policy as to the effectiveness of providing vocational training while youth are incarcerated and reentry employment services when they return home.
Specify if the program has any internal and external evaluations, if applicable, include key findings:
Internal Evaluations: No.
External Evaluations: Yes.