Career Choices of Male College Students in Prison

Making the Transition from Prison to Community: Importance of Career Exploration

“…A final implication is the need for career counseling with ex-offenders. Because research shows a direct relationship between unemployment and imprisonment (Byron, 1970;Coelho, 1980;Deming, 1983; Deming & Gulliver, 1981;Herrington, 1976;Lehrer, 1981;McNett, 1978; U.S. Bureau of Prisons, 1975), it seems appropriate to assume that if exoffenders were involved in meaningful career planning before being released into society, success in job placement could be enhanced and the likelihood of recidivism reduced. The area of recurrent criminal behavior is difficult to assess, and the data on recidivism reflect this problem.…”

“…A criminal record can, and often does, present a severe obstacle to employment. Researchers have found that one way to facilitate community reentry for offenders is through career counseling (Coelho, 1980;Deming, 1983;Drummond & Ryan, 1981;Wiederanders, Luckey, & Candace, 1978). Many studies have demonstrated that successful employment enhances the rehabilitation process (Blumstein, 1968;Bradley, 1983;Crozat & Kloss, 1979;Lehrer, 1981) and that unemployment contributes to recidivism (Byron, 1970;Long, 1982;Morris, 1965;Seiter, 1977).…”