Accessing employment after being incarcerated is a large barrier that many inmates face after being released back into society. To start, employment prospects of people who have recently been released from prison are quite low. According to the Prison Policy Initiative, formerly incarcerated people in the United States are unemployed at a rate over 27% overall. This rate is higher than other periods in history, including even during the Great Depression of the 1920’s. Therefore, systemic exclusion is occurring at an alarming rate, rather than individual failings that are occurring more as isolated incidents.
A large aspect of this challenge rests within the personal or “supply-side” barriers that formerly incarcerated individuals face when it comes to entering the labor market. In an analysis conducted by Urban Institute researchers Holzer, Raphael, and Stoll, they noted that many ex-offenders had low employment and earnings even before they were incarcerated, and that this now creates many disadvantages for them. Beyond this, basic job-readiness defects, such as an unstable work history or limited credentials, hinder entry to the labor market for these individuals.
There also exist barriers on the demand-side. This includes, largely, how employers and regulation treat people who possess a criminal record. The National Conference of State Legislatures released a report related to licensing and criminal records. In this report, it was highlighted that many professions legally must exclude those who have a prior criminal record. The report also states that those with felony convictions face many barriers.
These barriers extend beyond the formerly incarcerated individuals, to society at large. Employment becomes a key factor that reduces recidivism and promotes successful reintegration back into society. The researchers at the Urban Institute noted how improving employment prospects for ex-offenders could work to reduce re-offending and benefit public safety overall. Therefore, excluding large numbers of capable workers from the labor market represents an economic loss and also a social injustice to people who need more assistance from the state.
To conclude, creating new employment opportunities for those returning to society from incarceration requires a large, coordinated effort. Skills must be enhanced, employer attitudes and hiring policies must be changed, and licensing must be reformed to exclude people with prior criminal records. Without addressing both individual and structural barriers that exist, the true promise of a “second chance” does not fully exist.
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