An RCT of Virtual Reality Job Interview Training in a Prison-Based Employment Readiness Program

Background and Purpose: Over 700,000 returning citizens are released annually from prisons in the United States. Gainful employment helps reduce recidivism by enabling returning citizens to network within their communities, secure housing, and pay bills. However, employment is only 25% within 1 year of release. Notably, addressing gaps in one’s work history is common during job interviews and is a barrier to employment as returning citizens struggle to discuss their prior conviction. Although the field lacks a standardized evidence-based practice, Virtual Reality Job Interview Training (VR-JIT; a computerized interview simulator with automated feedback) emerged as evidence-based within mental health services and was effective at improving interview skills and job access across 7 randomized controlled trials. A recent pilot RCT evaluating VR-JIT added to services as usual in two prisons revealed trainees had greater competitive employment as compared to services as usual (82% vs. 69%) within 6 months of release. The current study conducted a RCT to confirm whether VR-JIT enhanced employment outcomes (i.e., competitive employment rate, time-to-employment, interview skills, interview anxiety, and interview motivation) within a prison-based, trades-focused employment program called the Vocational Villages.

Methods: One hundred one participants were randomized 2:1 into the Vocational Villages services-as-usual (VV, n=35) or VV with VR-JIT (VV+VR-JIT, n=66). In the Vocational Villages, returning citizens select one primary vocational trade where they earn legitimate trade credentials through coursework and hands-on training. Returning citizens also complete a 15-hour pre-employment preparation workshop designed to enhance employability skills (e.g., completing job applications, resume writing, and interviewing). Prison-based career readiness staff implemented VR-JIT for study participants. Logistic and Cox regressions determined whether VR-JIT improved employment within 6 months of release. Repeated measures analyses of variance evaluated a group (VV+VR-JIT or VV) x time (pre-test or post-test) interaction as to whether VR-JIT improved job interview skills and interview anxiety, and interview motivation.

Results: Groups did not differ in age, race, and lifetime employment rate (p>.10). Groups differed with respect to number of times arrested and length of prison sentence (p<.05; and were covariates in the models). VV+VR-JIT, compared with VV, were more likely to obtain employment (OR=3.76, p=.032) and sooner (HR=1.62, p=.037). VV+VR-JIT, compared with VV, improved their job interview skills, interview anxiety, and motivation to interview (all p<.05).

Conclusions and Implications: This confirmatory RCT suggests completing VR-JIT implemented by prison staff was associated with stronger employment outcomes. Specifically, improvements in employment rate and time-to-employment are critical outcomes that can elevate re-entry success for returning citizens. Although more research is needed to identify optimal VR-JIT delivery strategies in prisons and community programming, our results suggest corrections programming, returning citizens, and the community corrections could benefit from implementing VR-JIT. Policymakers should consider funding and integrating VR-JIT into reentry programs nationwide, recognizing its cost-effectiveness and scalability. Social work practitioners can use VR-JIT to provide personalized, immersive job readiness training that addresses the unique barriers faced by this population. Overall, deploying VR-JIT in correctional settings may transform traditional rehabilitation strategies into more effective, technology-driven approaches.