Work Experience, Criminal History, and Post-Prison Performance / Samuel L. Myers.

Researchers have found that the labor market performance of exoffenders is dismal. The poor post-prison employment experiences of ex-offenders was investigated to determine whether their problems arose from being inexperienced low-skilled workers or from being ex-offenders. The sample was drawn from the Baltimore Life Insurance for Ex-Prisoners experiment, specifically males who had low financial resources, were repeat offenders, had no known history of alcohol or narcotic abuse, and had not been on work release for more than three months. Analyses of demographic data and employment patterns for one year following release from prison found a significant amount of covariance between experimental measures, making the isolation of the separate effects formidable. Previous employment experience was found to affect post-prison employment, but exhibited a weaker effect than experiences after prison. Criminal history was found to have a weak effect on post-prison performance. More recent unemployment consistently led to higher joblessness after prison. The finding that post-prison experiences were the most important determinates of employment success suggests that in-prison manpower programs may prove ineffective if the net result is continued confinement of inmates. (NRB)

Microfiche. [Washington D.C.]: ERIC Clearinghouse microfiches : positive.