Prosocial Relationships and Employment Outcomes Among Justice-Involved Emerging Adults: The Mediating Roles of Social Skills and Life Aspirations

The crime desistance literature highlights employment as a pivotal turning point away from an offender’s lifestyle. While extensive research has explored employment outcomes for adults exiting criminal justice supervision and pursuing reintegration, the economic reintegration of emerging adults under juvenile justice community supervision remains under-studied. Centering the lived experiences of emerging adults (ages 18–21) under juvenile justice community supervision, this longitudinal study investigated the direct and indirect effects of prosocial relationships on employment of this social group. Drawing on three waves of longitudinal data, a mediation analysis was conducted using a bootstrapping technique. Findings revealed that prosocial relationships predicted subsequent growth in social skills and life aspirations among justice-involved young adults (JIYAs), which, in turn, enhanced the likelihood of future employment. Moreover, the relationship between prosocial connections and employment was fully mediated by social skills and life aspirations. These results underscore the critical role of prosocial networks in supporting JIYAs’ reintegration, financial independence, and successful transition into adulthood.