Community integration as reentry: Understanding functioning, vocational identity, and core self-evaluations

Individuals who have experienced incarceration are an underserved population in need of career development to reduce barriers to employment. Given the high rates of disability and health concerns for individuals who have been previously incarcerated, this study explored the relationships between individual health functioning, vocational identity, core self-evaluations, and community integration. Using structural equation modeling structural regression, results showed that functional difficulties negatively impact vocational identity and core self-evaluations. Conversely, core self-evaluations significantly improve community integration and mediate a positive relationship between vocational identity and community integration. Career development activities aimed at core self-evaluations and increasing meaning in employment may reduce some of the barriers experienced by individuals post incarceration.