Employment Hope as an Empowerment Pathway to Self-Sufficiency Among Exoffenders

The purpose of this research is to examine the process of psychological empowerment as it impacts exoffenders' self-sufficiency. This transformational process of social inclusion involves developing employment hope as one strives for economic success. Using a sample of 154 exoffenders receiving services from a community-based social service organization in Chicago, this study investigated how self-esteem, self-efficacy, and employment hope affect self-sufficiency. Based on structural equation model analyses, employment hope significantly mediated the path from self-esteem to self-sufficiency. This study confirms previous studies that suggest a renewed focus on employment hope for comprehensively supporting exoffenders' successful transition to self-sufficiency.