EMPLOYMENT AND CRIME PROJECT FINAL REPORT, 1978 RESEARCH DATA ANALYSIS AND PROGRAM RECOMMENDATIONS

• NCJ Number: 55576
• Author(s): ANON
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 130 pages
• Grant Number(s): 21-11-77-16
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Labor
• Corporate Author: American University
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

METHODOLOGY, RESULTS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS ARE REPORTED FROM A 1977 STUDY OF ARRESTEES IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA CONCERNING EMPLOYMENT STATUS AT ARREST AND JOB RETENTION AFTER ARREST.

Abstract

ARREST RECORDS FOR A SAMPLE OF 1,026 ARRESTEES PROCESSED AND RELEASED BY THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA BAIL AGENCY IN APRIL 1977 WERE REVIEWED. OF THIS TOTAL, 402 OF THE ARRESTEES (39.2 PERCENT) WERE EMPLOYED. A 6-MONTH FOLLOWUP TELEPHONE INTERVIEW SURVEY OF THE EMPLOYED ARRESTEES WAS CONDUCTED, AND 120 ARRESTEES REPRESENTING 11.7 PERCENT OF THE TOTAL SAMPLE AND 25.4 PERCENT OF THE EMPLOYED SAMPLE WERE INTERVIEWED. THE STUDY PROVIDED A MEANS OF ASCERTAINING THE NEED FOR SERVICES FOR ARRESTEES WHO OFTEN ARE FACED WITH THE LOSS OF THEIR JOBS UPON ARREST. FINDINGS INDICATE THAT ARRESTEES IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA ARE OLDER, MORE EDUCATED, AND EMPLOYED IN MUCH HIGHER STATUS JOBS THAN SUBJECTS IN ARREST STUDIES FROM OTHER AREAS. OF THE EMPLOYED ARRESTEES, 42 PERCENT HAD WHITE-COLLAR JOBS OR SKILLED JOBS; ONLY 24.6 PERCENT HAD UNSKILLED JOBS. DESPITE THE LEVEL OF JOB SKILLS, HOWEVER, ONLY 21 PERCENT OF THE POPULATION REPORTED AN ANNUAL INCOME OF OVER $5,000. IN THE FOLLOWUP SAMPLE, 44 PERCENT OF EMPLOYED ARRESTEES WERE STILL EMPLOYED 6 MONTHS AFTER ARREST. WHEN THE JOB-LOSS GROUP WAS QUESTIONED, 35 PERCENT INDICATED THERE WAS A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THEIR ARREST AND JOB LOSS. WHILE BEING EMPLOYED OR HAVING A JOB SKILL DOES NOT PREVENT A PERSON FROM COMMITTING A CRIME, THE DATA DO SUGGEST A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EMPLOYMENT AND THE TYPE OF CRIME COMMITTED AND BETWEEN EMPLOYMENT, PROSECUTION, AND THE NATURE OF THE SENTENCE IMPOSED. SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC VARIANCES AND WORK-RELATED REASONS FOR ACQUISITIVE OR PREDATORY OFFENSES ARE ILLUSTRATED BY EXHIBITS AND TABLES, AND OFFENSE DATA ARE COMPARED WITH PRETRIAL OFFENDER INFORMATION. IMPLICATIONS OF FINDINGS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH ARE INDICATED. THE APPENDIXES INCLUDE A DISCUSSION FO THE STUDY METHODOLOGY USED AND SAMPLES OF THE FORMS EMPLOYED IN INTERVIEWS. (RCB)