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Finding Work: How to Approach The Intersection of Prisoner Reentry, Employment, and Recidivism

NCJ Number
218732
Journal
Georgetown Journal on Poverty Law & Policy Volume: 13 Issue: 2 Dated: Summer 2006 Pages: 261-281
Author(s)
Christopher Stafford
Date Published
2006
Length
21 pages
Annotation
This article examines the obstacles to employment for recently released inmates and proposes solutions that work within the existing framework and infrastructure of institutional and community corrections.
Abstract
The main argument is that the criminal justice system is overly focused on prison entry and should refocus on prisoner exit to improve the plight of ex-prisoners seeking employment. Key reform efforts are identified as reconfiguring collateral sanctions to discretionary sanctions, preventative measures, reversing pressures faced by employers, and easing the reintegration of offenders back into society without sacrificing public safety and welfare. The author begins the analysis by reviewing the current employment position situation faced by released inmates. Statistics are reviewed that show that even prior to release, this population faces a bleak employment future due to low educational attainment, high rates of previous unemployment, and little work experience. These impediments to employment, coupled with the status of offender, produce a dire situation for inmates released from prison who seek employment. Solutions to the obstacles to employment facing inmates are offered and include risk-based collateral sanctions, employer incentives, and the integration of services within both penal institutions and parole agencies. The “collateral consequences” of conviction are discussed, which refer to the informal effects of negative stigma and other social consequences of being labeled a criminal. In particular, the author examines three categories of collateral consequences related to the employment and the economic well-being of offenders: formal, community, and the systematic consequences of conviction. Footnotes