Transcript Ex-offenders and Employment: An Overview

Ex-Offenders and
Employment:
An Overview
Kelly Pierron
[email protected]
“Studies show that the unemployment rate of
formerly incarcerated people after one year
may be as high as 60% because of multiple
barriers to employment.” *
* Center for Employment Opportunities. CEO Breaks the Cycle of Incarceration. CEO. New York, New York. 2008
The Value of Employment
• High unemployment = High Recidivism
– 85.7% (N=1,080) of female receptions to the
ODOC in 2009 reported being unemployed at the
time of their arrest.*
– 89% of individuals who violated the terms of their
probation or parole were unemployed at the time
of violation.**
* Oklahoma Department of Corrections Female Offender Operations. Fiscal Year 2009 Annual Report .
**Mukamal, D. Confronting the Employment Barriers if Criminal Records: Effective Legal and Practical Strategies. Journal of
Poverty Law and Policy. Jan-Feb, 2000.
The Value of Employment
• Income to meet financial obligations and
move to self-sufficiency
– Fines, fees, restitution
– Child support
– Rent
– Food
– Clothing
– Medical care
The Value of Employment
• Social connection
• Feeling of societal contribution and selfworth
Barriers to Employment
• Education level
– 72% (N=919) of female receptions to the ODOC in 2009
had an assessed need for education.*
– Nationally, about 70% do not have a high school
diploma.**
• Limited work history and skills
– Between 1/3 and 2/3 of inmates report incomes less than
$1,000 in the month prior to their arrest.***
• Race
* Oklahoma Department of Corrections Female Offender Operations. Fiscal Year 2009 Annual Report .
**Center for Employment Opportunities. CEO Breaks Down Barriers to Employment. CEO. New York, New York. 2008
***Solomon, et al. From Prison to Work: The Employment Dimensions of Prisoner Reentry. Urban Institute, Justice Policy Center.
Washington, DC. 2004
Barriers to Employment
• Institutionalization
– Institutionalization: deficits or disabilities in social
and life skills after long periods of independence
and responsibility deprivation.
– This makes managing demands and making
decisions is difficult after release.
Barriers to Employment
• Transportation
In Oklahoma, drug offenders have their
license revoked – even if the offense does not
relate to the operation of a motor vehicle.
Barriers to Employment
• Statutory and regulatory barriers
In certain states, ex-offenders are permanently
banned from public employment, and most
states have restrictions on the work of returning
offenders in certain fields.*
–
–
–
–
Jobs requiring contact with children
Certain health and human services occupations
Employment with firms providing security services
Finance
* Holzer et al. What Employers Want: Job Prospects for Less – Educated Workers. New York. Russell. Sage Foundation, 1996.
Barriers to Employment
• One survey found that the industries most
willing to hire ex-offenders are those that
require little customer contact.*
1) Manufacturing
2) Construction
3) Transportation
These are not industries with a high percentage of
female employees.
*Fahey, et al. Employment of Ex-Offenders: Employer Perspectives. Crime and Justice Institute. 2006
Barriers to Employment
• Employer concerns:
Many ex-offenders face employment
discrimination based solely on the fact that they
have a committed a felony offense, regardless of
whether the former offense would impact job
performance or the safety of others.
“Fewer than 40% of employers claim that they
would definitely or probably hire an ex-offender
for their most recently filled non-college job.”*
*Holzer, et al. Can Employers Play a More Positive Role in Reentry. Urban Institute. Washington, DC. 2002
Barriers to Employment
• Employer concerns (cont’d)
More broadly, employers fear liability where exoffenders have to deal directly with customers or
handle property that belongs to others.*
Many employers fear that the reputation of their
business would be damaged if the public became
aware that ex-offenders worked at their
company.
*Holzer, et al. Can Employers Play a More Positive Role in Reentry. Urban Institute. Washington, DC. 2002
Barriers to Employment
• Employer concerns (cont’d)
Court ordered obligations
Community service, urine analysis, restricted
movement.
Barriers to Employment
• Low paying and less fulfilling jobs
The jobs that are often available to exoffenders come with relatively poor wages
and benefits and limited prospects for
promotion – limiting their incentive to seek or
accept work.
Expected Post-Prison Hourly Wage by Gender*
* Visher, et al. Returning Home: Understanding the Challenge of Prisoner Reentry. Urban Institute, Justice Policy Center. 2004
Opportunities
• Programs
• Legislation
• Public awareness campaigns
Programs
• Education and training programs in
correctional facilities
– Oklahoma Department of Career Tech
– Faith and community-based agencies provide job
readiness curriculum.
– Girl Scouts Beyond Bars Project Reconnect
– GED and advanced education
Programs
• Transitional Jobs
“An employment strategy that seeks to
overcome employment barriers and transition
people with labor market barriers into work
using wage-paid, short term employment that
combines real work, skill development, and
supportive services.”
- National Transitional Job Network
Programs
• Reentry Programs
– Substance abuse and mental health counseling
– Assistance accessing safe and affordable housing
– Assistance accessing vocational and educational
programming
– Assistance accessing medical services
– Job placement services
– Guidance on repaying debts
– Transportation assistance
– Family reunification services
Programs
• Reentry Programs
An intermediary program helps employers hire
individuals with a criminal record by training and
preparing clients for a particular industry,
screening prospective employees, and sending
qualified, work-ready applicants to the field.
Employers value intermediary programs that will
help them address issues with the client should
they arise.
Employer Benefits from TCPRI Program
• Subsidized employment for up to 100% of the
minimum wage for up to 12 weeks.
• Job mentors. An employer can designate an
employee to mentor a PRI client on the job and earn
an additional $2 per hour for up to 240 hours.
• $2,500 for job training activities.
• Pre-screened applicants are matched to meet the
needs of employers.
Legislation
Federal:
• Federal Bonding Program
– Fidelity bonds issued to an employer free of
charge for “at-risk” employees or employees
whose past experiences present an obstacle to
future employment.
• Work Opportunity Tax Credit
– $2,400 per eligible employee, per hire.
Legislation
Pending Oklahoma legislation:
• Criminal record expungement
– For non-violent offenders who have completed the terms
and conditions of their sentence and have not
recommitted an offense for 10 years.
• Professional license – effect of expungement
• Reentry pilot program
– Development of a pilot program to provide services for
inmates with children in order to help facilitate successful,
long-term reintegration.
Public Awareness Campaigns
A multi-media campaign to encourage business
leaders to give a qualified ex-offender a
chance.
Public Awareness Campaigns
• Encourage employers to:
– use background checks only for certain jobs when
it is necessary based on objective criteria.
– use background checks later in the hiring process.
– allow applicants an opportunity to correct criminal
history information and submit evidence of
rehabilitation.
– consider mitigating factors when evaluating
applicants with criminal histories.
Public Awareness Campaigns
• “Ban the Box”:
A number of municipalities have adopted
“Ban the Box" policies, intended to allow
qualified individuals with criminal histories a
fighting chance in the application process.
Public Awareness Campaigns
Recommendations
Recommendations
•Employers: Review hiring procedures to consider
removing blanket “no-felony” policies.
•Legislatures: Comprehensive community-based
reentry programs that provide supportive and
employment services to help clients find and maintain a
job.