Employer Attitudes Toward Hiring Ex-Offenders

Abstract

The purposes of this article are to determine (a) employer attitudes toward hiring ex-offenders and (b) how these attitudes are affected by the level of training the ex-offender received while incarcerated, government incentives to hire, type of offense committed, and the relationship of the crime to the job to be filled. Eighty-three Houston and Dallas employers were surveyed on their attitudes toward hiring ex-offenders. In general, although the initial willingness to hire ex-offenders was low among employers, other findings indicate that the level of education, government incentives, and the relationship of the crime to the job increase employer willingness to hire an ex-offender. The type of offense, however, when disclosed, appears to have a negative effect on employers' willingness to hire, especially toward those with violent and sexual crimes as well as crimes against children. Limitations and policy applications of the findings are also discussed.

An exception to the rule: Belief in redeemability, desistance signals, and the employer’s decision to hire a job applicant with a criminal record

“…These factors relate to various characteristics relevant to the exoffender and their criminal history, as well as the employer and the organisational-context within which they work (Albright & Denq, 1996;Atkin & Armstrong, 2013;Graffam et al, 2008;Lukies, et al, 2011). Contributing further to the current body of literature, this paper aimed to apply the theoretical tenets of impression formation to examine the association between employers' willingness to hire job applicants with a criminal record and belief in redeemability, and whether individuating signals of desistance mediated this association.…”

“…Although research is consistent in finding that securing employment provides a crucial turning point for desistance from crime for individuals with a history of offending (Laub & Sampson, 2003), evidence also shows that employers are generally unwilling to hire job applicants who have a criminal record (Albright & Denq, 1996;Lukies, Graffam & Shinkfield, 2011). Arguably then, the employer's decision to hire an ex-offender should be viewed as one of the key catalysts to facilitate desistance from crime.…”

“…These include the type and severity of the crime committed, number of previous convictions, and length of time spent in prison, since release or since their most recent offence (Albright & Denq, 1996;Atkin & Armstrong, 2013;Fahey, Roberts & Engel, 2006;Graffam, Shinkfield & Hardcastle, 2008; Kurlychek, Brame & Bushway, 2006). Employers also anticipate poor physical and/or mental health, as well as substance abuse issues may negatively impact work performance (Holzer, Raphael & Stoll, 2002).…”

“…Employers consider whether the type of crime committed may relate to the type of position being applied for (Albright & Denq, 1996;Graffam et al, 2004), and whether the safety of themselves, their staff or customers is perceived to be at risk (Giguere & Dundes, 2002;Pager & Quillian, 2005).…”

Breaking Down Barriers: Experiments into Policies That Might Incentivize Employers to Hire Ex-Offenders

“…We began by developing an initial list of policy features based on existing policies as already described, and previous survey literature focusing on employers' preferences (Albright and Denq, 1996;Giguere and Dundes, 2002;Holzer, Raphael, and Stoll, 2004;Graffam, Shinkfield, and Hardcastle, 2008;Lukies, Graffam, and Shinkfield, 2011;Lageson, Vuolo, and Uggen, 2015). Then, as suggested by Coast et al (2012), we revised the list through prestudies and pretests.…”