Employer Perceptions of Hiring Juveniles With Criminal Records

Abstract

A key determinant of reentry success for justice-involved youth is productive engagement in school or work. Lack of employment for this population is often tied to inadequate vocational training, work experience, job opportunities, or the stigma attached to incarceration. Although very few studies have been conducted on employers’ perceptions of juveniles with criminal records, research suggests that views related to hiring may vary according to crime type. The purpose of this study was to explore how likely employers would be to grant an interview to a juvenile with a criminal background, and what experience, training, or skills employers seek when hiring juveniles with criminal backgrounds. The results indicate that, all else being equal, a juvenile record might penalize an applicant’s opportunities, and also, offense type matters. The implications of this study are discussed in relation to employment preparation and reentry services and supports for justice-involved youth.

Full-Time Students With Part-Time Benefits: How Being Denied On-Campus Housing Affects College Students With Criminal Records

“…With the already growing balloon of student debt within the United States (Scott-Clayton & Li, 2016) and the rise in rent (Ellen & Torrats-Espinosa, 2020), the issue of student debt should be a cause of concern for any administrator or student affairs practitioner interested in eradicating student debt or serving students. Additionally, while it may be easier to say obtain a job, we know via research that people with criminal records are likely to be denied employment, especially if they have violent crimes (Clark et al., 2020). No job means no money to pay for basic necessities such as rent.…”

Youth and the justice system.

“…Considering that adolescence is a period marked by identity exploration and formation (Forney & Ward, 2019), labeling a youth as delinquent may actually increase their involvement in crime, especially if youth seek out friend groups that reinforce this label. To make matters worse, having the mark of an official juvenile justice system record appears to limit employment prospects (Clark et al, 2020).…”

“…These gains in psychosocial maturity are thought to be related to a shift in values that accompany normative social transitions, such as gainful employment or important relationships with spouses or children (T. Kang, 2019;Skardhamar et al, 2015). Indeed, the contextual factors that are important for desistance, such as opportunities for education, employment, or marriage (Clark et al, 2020;Sampson et al, 2006), are still in progress during the 3rd decade of life, and in recent years, these developmental milestones are happening at later ages (Steinberg, 2014) and with less support than in previous generations (Institute of Medicine & National Research Council, 2015). In the eyes of the law, youth are expected to be responsible adults before they reach the age of 20, but an interaction of contextual and individual factors may generate substantial barriers that threaten a timely developmental transition to adulthood.…”

Curriculum, instruction, and promoting college and career readiness for incarcerated youth: A literature review.

“…The need to provide instruction in soft workplace skills has also been recognized as a vital component of CTE programming in JCFs (Griller Clark, Mathur, Ott, et al, 2020). Despite a willingness to hire individuals with juvenile records, the majority of employers (75%) indicate that young workers are deficient in "soft skills" like punctuality, verbal communication, and working productively with others (U.S. Department of Labor, 2012).…”