Supply vs. Demand: Re-Entering America's Prison Population into the Workforce

• Main Author: Enfield, Marissa Leigh
• Format: Others
• Published: Scholarship @ Claremont 2012
• Subjects: psychology; legal studies; corrections; offenders; attitudes; law; policy; Labor and Employment Law; Law and Society; Law Enforcement and Corrections; Other Psychology; Social Psychology
• Online Access: http://scholarship.claremont.edu/scripps_theses/102; http://scholarship.claremont.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1105&context=scripps_theses

Because rejoining the workforce may prevent against ex-offender recidivism, securing gainful employment is one of the best indicators of successful societal reintegration for released prisoners. However, the stigma attached to a criminal history, combined with ex-prisoners’ lack of human capital, may threaten their ability to obtain a job. The present study examines hiring managers’ attitudes towards previously imprisoned offenders applying for positions in their workplace. Using a combination of brief, fictional applicant biographies and surveys, this mixed-groups factorial study explores how hiring managers (N= 28) consider gender, type of offense, and race when an ex-offender is assessed during the application process. Results indicated that, regardless of their offense, gender, and race, ex-prisoners were generally perceived to be less employable and less likely to have work-related characteristics such as honesty and the ability to communicate effectively.