Advance Letter

Date

Name

Address

Dear [Mr./Ms] [first name, last name],

In [month] 2010, you applied to the [program name] in [City name] and were recruited to be part of a study, called the Reintegration of Ex-Offenders (RExO) evaluation. When you agreed to participate, you were told that you would be paid for your participation in upcoming interviews. I am writing to invite you to participate in a telephone interview about your experiences throughout the last year, whether you actually participated in the [program name] or not. You will be asked about your employment, earnings, any employment support you have received throughout the last year, and any involvement you may have had with the criminal justice system. For completing the interview, you will receive $40 in compensation. The telephone interview will take approximately 20 to 30 minutes of your time.

In addition to the $40 for participating, you will receive an extra $15 if you call us and complete the survey by [date]. To ensure that you complete the interview by the early bird date and receive your 15 bonus, please call between the hours of [XX] a.m. and [XX] p.m. so that you can speak directly to an interviewer.

Within the limits of the law, your responses will be kept completely private and not reported to the Department of Labor or any other entities in a manner that allows anyone to trace a response to you individually.

After [date], we still look forward to interviewing you; however, you will no longer be eligible for the early bird bonus. You will still receive $40 for completing the interview. Please call us at [number] to participate. We will also attempt to reach you after that date to schedule an interview appointment or complete the interview.

This is an important study by the U.S. Department of Labor to review the effectiveness of programs like [program name]. It is essential that we receive information from all participants in the study, whether they actually entered the program or not. Your assistance is greatly appreciated. If you have questions about the research study, please call the RExO toll-free number at xxx-xxx-xxxx.

Sincerely,

C. M. Johnson

Project Director