People with a criminal record were among the 27 million or so “untapped” workers identified by Harvard research last year. Recent research from the RAND Corporation highlights the scale of the problem. It suggests that by the age of 35, 64% of unemployed men have been arrested already, with 46% having received a conviction.
“Employers need to understand that one big reason they cannot find the workers they need is too often, they exclude those who have had involvement with the criminal justice system,” the researchers explain. “Employers need to reconsider their protocols about how to respond when applicants have some type of criminal history.”
Credential dilemma
Recent research from Cornell people with a criminal record face an additional dilemma, as they may have gained credentials during their time in prison, but feel distinctly uneasy about including them on their resume as it would highlight their time in prison.
The study explores the quandary that many formerly incarcerated job seekers face when gauging whether to place credentials secured in prison on their application, both from uncertainty about how such credentials might be evaluated but also because of the reaction to their spell in prison.
“Employers may use, or misuse, the credentials in varying ways,” the researchers explain. “Some may even use the credentials to efficiently screen out formerly incarcerated applicants, thwarting their efforts to secure good jobs.”
Dealing with uncertainty
The researchers interviewed men with a prison record to better understand how they deal with this dilemma. The dilemma is interesting as offering prisoners the opportunity to study and gain work experience was seen as a counter to the otherwise negative perception a criminal record provides.
The authors explain, however, that the efficacy of such credentials in the labor market has been extremely variable since studies into them first began in the 1960s. They believe that this variability is often due to the dilemma, which means that usage of the credentials varies significantly.
For instance, men revealed that they often considered whether they should use the credentials at all, and if they did want to use them, how they should frame them to ensure they weren’t signaling negative qualities at all.
This phenomenon was especially so for Black men, who worried that presenting prison credentials would risk them being stereotyped, which is especially harmful as Black men can be particularly reliant on prison credentials to signal value in the labor market upon their release.
The authors suggest that one possible solution would be to change the name of the credentialing institution so that any stigma associated with it is removed. This should be feasible as many prison programs are conducted in partnership with educational or vocational organizations outside of the prison, so formally tying the credentials to those organizations rather than the prison itself should be possible.
