Employer Attitudes Toward Work-Release Programs and the Hiring of Offenders

Abstract

Previous studies on attitudes toward work-release programs have indicated that employers, and sheriffs with experience in those programs, respond positively, while sheriffs without such experience are about evenly divided. This paper assessed the attitudes of potential employers towards various aspects of work-release programs in order to identify the most likely participants and the viability of expanding such work-release programs. Analysis of the results of a group-administered questionnaire-given to a group of potential employers who were members of service organizations, the Lions Club and the Rotary Club-revealed that a clear majority of this group of potential employers were sympathetic though with some reservations noted. While employers of ex-offenders and victims of crime were less responsive, about 40% of these groups were also willing to hire work-releasees. The need for effective planning, administration, research, and publicity was underscored.

Help Wanted: A Survey of Employer Concerns About Hiring Ex-Convicts

“…Albright and Denq (1996) found that only 12% of 83 employers were "inclined" to hire an ex-offender, contrasting with Tromanhauser (1976), who found that most employers (89%) were willing to hire persons with criminal records. Other studies (Atkinson, Fenster, & Blumberg, 1976;Whiting & Winter, 1981) indicate that between 50% and 70% of employers would consider hiring a person with a criminal record. Although it is unclear what accounts for such a disparity of results, research methods affect responses.…”

Hiring People With Criminal Records in South Carolina: Examining Businesses’ Hiring Practices and Views on Incentives

“…In addition, employers with higher levels of educational attainment have demonstrated more positive attitudes toward the employability of ex-offenders than employers with lower levels (Lukies, Graffam, & Shinkfield, 2011). Employers who have hired people with criminal records in the past may also be more willing to hire others with a criminal record (Atkin & Armstrong, 2013; Haslewood-Pócsik, Brown, & Spencer, 2008), although at least one older study has found the opposite to be true (Atkinson, Fenster, & Blumberg, 1976). Employers who have been the victim of a crime are less open to hiring ex-offenders (Atkinson et al, 1976).…”

“…Holzer et al (2003) reported that employers, when asked if they would consider an applicant with a criminal record, most commonly responded that their consideration depended on the crime, rather than a simple yes or no. Those people less likely to be considered for a job are ones who have committed a violent crime, such as murder, rape, and robbery, while those who have committed property or drug offenses are more likely to be considered (Atkin & Armstrong, 2013; Atkinson et al, 1976; Giguere & Dundes, 2002; Haslewood-Pócksik et al, 2008). In addition, employers are more likely to hire an ex-offender if his or her offense does not relate to the job they are seeking (Albright & Denq, 1996).…”

“…Second, we examine how the knowledge and use of incentive programs may correlate with employers’ willingness to hire individuals with criminal records. While previous surveys of businesses focused on factors that impact whether or not businesses might hire employees with criminal records, and to a lesser extent hiring incentives, the current work focuses on awareness of federal and state incentives and the extent to which those incentives, once known, might influence future hiring of these individuals (Albright & Denq, 1996; Atkin & Armstrong, 2013; Atkinson et al, 1976; Fahey et al, 2006; Giguere & Dundes, 2002; Graffam et al, 2008; Haslewood-Pócksik et al, 2008; Holzer et al, 2002; Lukies et al, 2011). Finally, our article extends the current literature by using two types of methods to collect data from businesses and considers how the two approaches impact our results.…”

Hiring the Formerly Incarcerated: The Mediating Role of Morality

“…Over the last half century, researchers have asked the basic question of how willing employers are/would be to hire formerly incarcerated individuals, and the results vary. For example, Atkinson, Fenster, and Blumberg (1976) reported 69% of potential employers would hire an applicant with a criminal history. Twenty years later, Albright and Denq (1996) found 42% of employers in the Dallas and Houston areas were not willing to hire a formerly incarcerated individual.…”