Criminal BehaviorNCT04140942
Improving Employment and Reducing Recidivism Among Prison Offenders Via Virtual Interview Training Tool (MICHR)
A study testing Virtual Reality Job Interview Training and Services as usual in people with Criminal Behavior, run by University of Michigan at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
The goal is to conduct a feasibility effectiveness RCT of Virtual Interview Training (VIT) by comparing employment and recidivism outcomes of offenders (25 years and older) receiving vocational services as usual (SAU) plus VIT (SAU+VIT) with the outcomes of offenders receiving only services as usual (SAU-only). Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 25 years and older, men only
- Conditions the study is for
- Criminal Behavior
- What is being tested?
- Virtual Reality Job Interview Training and Services as usual
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 44 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 6 Sep 2019to 20 Jul 2021
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Yes, posted in the registrySummary in the doctors' view
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 25 years and older
- Men only
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- 25 years or older
- Identified as at moderate to high risk for reoffending with violent crimes (determined at the time of enrollment in the Vocational Village via the COMPAS Risk Assessment Classification Instrument [60])
- Within three months of their earliest release date
- Actively enrolled in a Vocational Village
- Have at least a 6th grade reading comprehension
Who cannot join
- Has uncorrected hearing or visual problem that prevents him or her from using the training
- Has a medical illness that compromises their cognition (for example, moderate to severe traumatic brain injury).
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
The goal is to conduct a feasibility effectiveness RCT of Virtual Interview Training (VIT) by comparing employment and recidivism outcomes of offenders (25 years and older) receiving vocational services as usual (SAU) plus VIT (SAU+VIT) with the outcomes of offenders receiving only services as usual (SAU-only).
The plan calls for participants to include offenders who are at moderate to high risk for reoffending (with an emphasis on violent-crime reoffending) who are currently enrolled in a Vocational Village Prison Setting with the Michigan Department of Corrections.
Read the detailed description
More than 600,000 ex-offenders re-enter the community from prison each year and 50% of them recidivate within 12 months of release. Employment significantly reduces the risk of recidivism for ex-offenders, and as such, is a critical target for intervention. However, evidence-based employment services are rarely delivered in prisons. Moreover, employment services that are available do not include evidence-based job interview training. Virtual Reality Job Interview Training (VR-JIT) is an evidence-based tool that was developed and evaluated with funding from the National Institute of Mental Health. However, VR-JIT has a feature to practice discussing a prior conviction during a job interview that has not yet been evaluated. Given that an ex-offender's job interview outcome may depend on discussing their prior conviction, we are partnering with the Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC) to evaluate if delivering VR-JIT within their Vocational Village program can improve employment and reduce recidivism among offenders after their release from prison. Thus, there are two goals for this pilot study. We will evaluate the preliminary effectiveness of whether VR-JIT added to Vocational Village services-as-usual improves outcomes (interview skills, employment, recidivism) for offenders after their release from prison (at a 6-month follow-up visit). These preliminary data will support a proposal to a federal agency for a fully-powered randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness of VR-JIT with prison settings.
- Conditions
- Criminal Behavior
- Being tested
- Virtual Reality Job Interview Training, Services as usual
- Medical subject headings
- Criminal Behavior
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Virtual Reality Job Interview TrainingBehavioural
Participants will engage in training related to preforming well during a job interview as well as repeated job interview practice with a virtual hiring manager. Participants will receive feedback and tips on improving skills throughout training.
Services as usualBehavioural
Study participants will be receiving Vocational Village services as usual that may include but is not limited to vocational skill training, daily living skill training, and social skill training.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Services as usual + Virtual Reality Job Interview Training | Experimental | In addition to the services as usual, participants will participate in Virtual Reality Job Interview Training. Receives: Behavioral: Virtual Reality Job Interview Training; Behavioral: Services as usual |
| Services as Usual | Active comparator | Study participants will be receiving their Vocational Village services as usual that may include but not limited to vocational skill training, and social skill training. Receives: Behavioral: Services as usual |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Employment as Measured in Outcome Questionnaire
Employment rate will be measured by participant self-report using a questionnaire.
Measured: 6 Month & 12 month follow up after villagers are released.
Job Interview Skills From Mock Interview Rating Scale (MIRS)
Interviewing skills were measured using a role-play measure in which subjects act out two job interview scenarios with trained actors. Interviews were video recorded and scored. An average of the two scenarios at baseline was used to create a single pretest score and an average of the two scenarios at posttest was used to create a single posttest score. The method of assessment is the job interview skills rating scale as measured by the Mock Interview Rating Scale (MIRS). Possible scores range from 8 to 40, with higher scores indicating better interview skills.
Measured: Pretest (Baseline) and Posttest (approximately 6 weeks after Baseline)
Number of Participants on With at Least 1 Yes Answer to Recidivism Self-Report Questionnaire
Recidivism status will be collected via follow up self-report survey with a questions asking if they have been re-arrested (yes/no). The recidivism self-report data will be validated by administrative data collected from MDOC.
Measured: 6 Month and 12 months after Villager Release Date
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted28 Oct 2019
- Study start6 Sep 2019
- Primary completion20 Jul 2021
- Study completion20 Jul 2021
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Posted resultsParticipant flow, outcome measures and adverse events reported by the sponsor.
- Other trials for Criminal BehaviorStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by University of MichiganThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 44 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Michigan
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS)
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Matthew Smith, University of Michigan
- Investigators
- Matthew J Smith, PhD, Principal investigator, University of Michigan
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04140942
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- HUM00165245
- Other IDs
- 3UL1TR002240-05S1
- Status last verified
- Jan 2024
- First submitted
- 23 Oct 2019
- Last updated
- 25 Jan 2024
- Results posted
- Yes, on ClinicalTrials.gov
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 25 Jan 2024. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Improving Employment and Reducing Recidivism Among Prison Offenders Via Virtual Interview Training Tool (MICHR)
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04140942
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- HUM00165245
- Conditions
- Criminal Behavior
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 44 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- University of MichiganUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS)
- Study start
- 6 Sep 2019 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 20 Jul 2021 (actual)
- Study completion
- 20 Jul 2021 (actual)
- First posted
- 28 Oct 2019 (actual)
- Results
- Posted 30 Mar 2023
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The goal is to conduct a feasibility effectiveness RCT of Virtual Interview Training (VIT) by comparing employment and recidivism outcomes of offenders (25 years and older) receiving vocational services as usual (SAU) plus VIT (SAU+VIT) with the outcomes of offenders receiving only services as usual (SAU-only).
The plan calls for participants to include offenders who are at moderate to high risk for reoffending (with an emphasis on violent-crime reoffending) who are currently enrolled in a Vocational Village Prison Setting with the Michigan Department of Corrections.
Detailed description
More than 600,000 ex-offenders re-enter the community from prison each year and 50% of them recidivate within 12 months of release. Employment significantly reduces the risk of recidivism for ex-offenders, and as such, is a critical target for intervention. However, evidence-based employment services are rarely delivered in prisons. Moreover, employment services that are available do not include evidence-based job interview training. Virtual Reality Job Interview Training (VR-JIT) is an evidence-based tool that was developed and evaluated with funding from the National Institute of Mental Health. However, VR-JIT has a feature to practice discussing a prior conviction during a job interview that has not yet been evaluated. Given that an ex-offender's job interview outcome may depend on discussing their prior conviction, we are partnering with the Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC) to evaluate if delivering VR-JIT within their Vocational Village program can improve employment and reduce recidivism among offenders after their release from prison. Thus, there are two goals for this pilot study. We will evaluate the preliminary effectiveness of whether VR-JIT added to Vocational Village services-as-usual improves outcomes (interview skills, employment, recidivism) for offenders after their release from prison (at a 6-month follow-up visit). These preliminary data will support a proposal to a federal agency for a fully-powered randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness of VR-JIT with prison settings.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Services as usual + Virtual Reality Job Interview Training | Experimental | Behavioral: Virtual Reality Job Interview Training, Behavioral: Services as usualIn addition to the services as usual, participants will participate in Virtual Reality Job Interview Training. |
| Services as Usual | Active comparator | Behavioral: Services as usualStudy participants will be receiving their Vocational Village services as usual that may include but not limited to vocational skill training, and social skill training. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 25 years and older
- Sex
- Male only
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (5 listed)
- 25 years or older
- Identified as at moderate to high risk for reoffending with violent crimes (determined at the time of enrollment in the Vocational Village via the COMPAS Risk Assessment Classification Instrument [60])
- Within three months of their earliest release date
- Actively enrolled in a Vocational Village
- Have at least a 6th grade reading comprehension
Key exclusion criteria (2 listed)
- Has uncorrected hearing or visual problem that prevents him or her from using the training
- Has a medical illness that compromises their cognition (for example, moderate to severe traumatic brain injury).
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Reality Job Interview TrainingParticipants will engage in training related to preforming well during a job interview as well as repeated job interview practice with a virtual hiring manager. Participants will receive feedback and tips on improving skills throughout training. | Behavioural | Services as usual + Virtual Reality Job Interview Training |
| Services as usualStudy participants will be receiving Vocational Village services as usual that may include but is not limited to vocational skill training, daily living skill training, and social skill training. | Behavioural | Services as Usual, Services as usual + Virtual Reality Job Interview Training |
Primary outcome
Employment as Measured in Outcome Questionnaire
Time frame: 6 Month & 12 month follow up after villagers are released.
Employment rate will be measured by participant self-report using a questionnaire.
Job Interview Skills From Mock Interview Rating Scale (MIRS)
Time frame: Pretest (Baseline) and Posttest (approximately 6 weeks after Baseline)
Interviewing skills were measured using a role-play measure in which subjects act out two job interview scenarios with trained actors. Interviews were video recorded and scored. An average of the two scenarios at baseline was used to create a single pretest score and an average of the two scenarios at posttest was used to create a single posttest score. The method of assessment is the job interview skills rating scale as measured by the Mock Interview Rating Scale (MIRS). Possible scores range from 8 to 40, with higher scores indicating better interview skills.
Number of Participants on With at Least 1 Yes Answer to Recidivism Self-Report Questionnaire
Time frame: 6 Month and 12 months after Villager Release Date
Recidivism status will be collected via follow up self-report survey with a questions asking if they have been re-arrested (yes/no). The recidivism self-report data will be validated by administrative data collected from MDOC.
Results and safety
Loading the posted results from ClinicalTrials.gov…
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 25 Jan 2024.
- Posted resultsParticipant flow, baseline, all outcome measures and adverse events.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Matthew J Smith, PhD principal investigator
University of Michigan
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Virtual Reality Job Interview Training and Services as usual in people with Criminal Behavior, run by University of Michigan at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 5 inclusion and 2 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 25 Jan 2024. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 30 Mar 2023). A summary is in the For doctors view, and the full results are on ClinicalTrials.gov.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Employment as Measured in Outcome Questionnaire (time frame: 6 Month & 12 month follow up after villagers are released.). The study lists 3 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 25 Jan 2024.