Ex-Offenders and Employment: An Overview

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Ex-Offenders and EmploymentAn Overview

• Kelly Pierron
• kpierron_at_csctulsa.org

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• 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.

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The Value of Employment

• High unemployment High Recidivism
• 85.7 (N1,080) 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.

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The Value of Employment

• Income to meet financial obligations and move to
  self-sufficiency
• Fines, fees, restitution
• Child support
• Rent
• Food
• Clothing
• Medical care

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The Value of Employment

• Social connection
• Feeling of societal contribution and self-worth

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Barriers to Employment

• Education level
• 72 (N919) 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

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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Barriers to Employment

• Employer concerns (contd)
• More broadly, employers fear liability where
  ex-offenders 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.

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Barriers to Employment

• Employer concerns (contd)
• Court ordered obligations
• Community service, urine analysis, restricted
  movement.

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Barriers to Employment

• Low paying and less fulfilling jobs
• The jobs that are often available to
  ex-offenders come with relatively poor wages and
  benefits and limited prospects for promotion
  limiting their incentive to seek or accept work.

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Expected Post-Prison Hourly Wage by Gender
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Opportunities

• Programs
• Legislation
• Public awareness campaigns

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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

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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

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Public Awareness Campaigns

• A multi-media campaign to encourage business
  leaders to give a qualified ex-offender a chance.

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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.

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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.

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Public Awareness Campaigns
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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.