“Work Your Story”: Selective Voluntary Disclosure, Stigma Management, and Narratives of Seeking Employment After Prison

Abstract

Using interviews with forty formerly incarcerated people in the Greater Toronto Area, I explore how criminal record holders describe seeking work. People articulate being driven by a desire to be selective to whom, when, and how they disclose their past criminal record; they simultaneously want to talk about their past, at least to some people, some of the time. Many say they are quite selective in what types of jobs and employers they seek out, and their efforts to secure employment are driven by broader projects of stigma management. In light of these findings, I coin “selective, voluntary disclosure” (SVD) as a new set of policy configurations that aim to facilitate not only employment but also dignity, privacy, and empowerment. SVD is well attuned with what former prisoners describe doing on an everyday basis, and it accords with their goals, aspirations, and rehabilitative self-projects.

Damned if you do, damned if you don't: How formerly incarcerated men navigate the labor market with prison credentials*

“…It really discouraged me." The social exclusion Carlton and other interviewees experienced was consistent with studies highlighting the difficulties people with criminal records face in the labor market (Augustine, 2019;Goodman, 2020;Harding, 2003;Ricciardelli & Mooney, 2018). The challenges interviewees experienced, however, also complicate the proposition that prison credentials can effectively act as desistance and employability signals in the eyes of employers (Bushway & Apel, 2012;Wright, 2020).…”

“…They decide the positions, occupations, and companies for which to apply and whether, when, and how to disclose their criminal records (Harding, 2003; LeBel, 2008). People with criminal records attempt to manage stigma via the information they convey to employers and their self‐presentation (Augustine, 2019; Goffman, 1963; Goodman, 2020; Hlavka, Wheelock, & Cossyleon, 2015; Hlavka, Wheelock, & Jones, 2015; Maruna, 2001; Ray et al., 2016; Ricciardelli & Mooney, 2018), using strategies that fall along a reactive–proactive continuum (LeBel, 2008). These strategies can fluctuate over time, and they depend on prior experiences with disclosure, the type of job and offense, interactions with employers, and other applicant qualities that may inhibit or help them elude criminal stereotypes.…”

“…Intermediate strategists may conditionally disclose their criminal records in the most opportune settings, such as after or during a phone screening, interview, or job offer (Augustine, 2019; Harding, 2003). Proactive and intermediate strategies are risky but may be effective if individuals present as confident, competent, remorseful, and possess the social skills to control narratives surrounding their criminal records (Goodman, 2020; Harding, 2003; Maruna, 2001; Maruna et al., 2004).…”

“…Yet, few scholars have considered that formerly incarcerated people also have little insight into employers’ perceptions of prison credentials, which may cause them to anticipate discrimination and subsequently alter their job search behaviors (Ray et al., 2016; Winnick & Bodkin, 2008). Thus, the prison credential dilemma likely influences how formerly incarcerated jobseekers present themselves and their qualifications from prison during the hiring process (Augustine, 2019; Goodman, 2020; Harding, 2003; Ricciardelli & Mooney, 2018).…”

Employing with conviction: The experiences of employers who actively recruit criminalised people

“…All participants were business owners or senior leaders in their organisation. While this sample is small in size, and therefore not representative of the whole UK employment market, qualitative investigations can obtain a rich picture of employment post prison, offering important clues to how we can create more effective social policy and enable strategic investment in re-entry successes (Goodman, 2020). Our data reveals some of the factors behind employers’ decisions to hire – thus offering insight into a key catalyst to facilitate desistance (Reich, 2017), they also provide detailed illustrations of how employers support people to remain in post and how criminal justice partners can help (or hinder) these efforts.…”