DISCRIMINATORY HIRING PRACTICES FOR EX-OFFENDERS
Introduction
Ethical issues regarding the reintegration of ex-offenders into society stem from the discretion employers have when considering applicants with a criminal history. Although allowing a chance for rehabilitation through employment can objectively be seen as the right thing to do, it is often disregarded for the sake of protecting the greater good from the potential risks of an ex-offender. These current studies aim to debunk common stereotypes regarding ex-offenders reentering the workforce as hazardous in an effort to reduce discriminatory hiring practices that ultimately perpetuate the cycle of offending.
Annotated Bibliography
D 'Alessio, S., Stolzenberg, L., & Flexon, J. (2015). …show more content…
National Institute Of Justice Journal, (270), 42-51.
Provides a new perspective in the debate of whether criminal records are a legitimate source for information or not by exposing just how inaccurate, and often out-of-date, criminal records can be. Many studies conducted found the likelihood of employers to hire ex-offenders to be nearly nonexistent. This reluctance stems from the stigma of a criminal record. The question for this study is if an individual stays “clean” for a long period of time, then the chances of being arrested again would be greatly reduced. This hypothesis was found to be true after analyzing police data and criminal records from New York City.
Soothill, K., Francis, B., & Ackerley, E. (1997). The value of finding employment for white- collar ex-offenders. British Journal Of Criminology, 37(4), 582.
Discusses that within a 20-year follow up of white-collar ex-offenders, more than a third of the participants re-offended. However, most of the participants that re-offended committed the offense within 5 years of their first offense, which suggests the theory of desistance. This theory suggests that offenders stop offending once they have reached the middle years of their lives, which indicates an issue of maturity with most individuals that commit an …show more content…
On one side of the debate, it is argued that the availability of a criminal record alone at an employer’s disposal is enough to fuel the stigma of being an ex-offender. However, other criminologists cited seem to argue that it is the lack of enough information in the criminal records, such as whether or not a conviction occurred, that it truly hindering the reintegration process.
Wang, X., Mears, D. P., & Bales, W. D. (2010). Race-specific employment contexts and recidivism. Criminology, 48(4), 1171-1211. doi:10.1111/j.1745-9125.2010.00215.x
Discusses the issues regarding recidivism for blacks and whites post-release from prison from the Florida Department of Corrections. The study found that blacks are more likely to commit another offense once released from prison, which could be related to the issue of “receiving communities” as previously discussed. Also the types of jobs that are most likely to employ ex-offenders is taken into consideration. Manufacturing sectors of the job market are more likely to employ ex-offenders due to the low level of skill and customer contact required for the job.
Western, B. (2008). Criminal background checks and employment among workers with criminal records. Criminology & Public Policy, 7(3), 413-417.
Introduction
Ethical issues regarding the reintegration of ex-offenders into society stem from the discretion employers have when considering applicants with a criminal history. Although allowing a chance for rehabilitation through employment can objectively be seen as the right thing to do, it is often disregarded for the sake of protecting the greater good from the potential risks of an ex-offender. These current studies aim to debunk common stereotypes regarding ex-offenders reentering the workforce as hazardous in an effort to reduce discriminatory hiring practices that ultimately perpetuate the cycle of offending.
Annotated Bibliography
D 'Alessio, S., Stolzenberg, L., & Flexon, J. (2015). …show more content…
National Institute Of Justice Journal, (270), 42-51.
Provides a new perspective in the debate of whether criminal records are a legitimate source for information or not by exposing just how inaccurate, and often out-of-date, criminal records can be. Many studies conducted found the likelihood of employers to hire ex-offenders to be nearly nonexistent. This reluctance stems from the stigma of a criminal record. The question for this study is if an individual stays “clean” for a long period of time, then the chances of being arrested again would be greatly reduced. This hypothesis was found to be true after analyzing police data and criminal records from New York City.
Soothill, K., Francis, B., & Ackerley, E. (1997). The value of finding employment for white- collar ex-offenders. British Journal Of Criminology, 37(4), 582.
Discusses that within a 20-year follow up of white-collar ex-offenders, more than a third of the participants re-offended. However, most of the participants that re-offended committed the offense within 5 years of their first offense, which suggests the theory of desistance. This theory suggests that offenders stop offending once they have reached the middle years of their lives, which indicates an issue of maturity with most individuals that commit an …show more content…
On one side of the debate, it is argued that the availability of a criminal record alone at an employer’s disposal is enough to fuel the stigma of being an ex-offender. However, other criminologists cited seem to argue that it is the lack of enough information in the criminal records, such as whether or not a conviction occurred, that it truly hindering the reintegration process.
Wang, X., Mears, D. P., & Bales, W. D. (2010). Race-specific employment contexts and recidivism. Criminology, 48(4), 1171-1211. doi:10.1111/j.1745-9125.2010.00215.x
Discusses the issues regarding recidivism for blacks and whites post-release from prison from the Florida Department of Corrections. The study found that blacks are more likely to commit another offense once released from prison, which could be related to the issue of “receiving communities” as previously discussed. Also the types of jobs that are most likely to employ ex-offenders is taken into consideration. Manufacturing sectors of the job market are more likely to employ ex-offenders due to the low level of skill and customer contact required for the job.
Western, B. (2008). Criminal background checks and employment among workers with criminal records. Criminology & Public Policy, 7(3), 413-417.