NCJ Number
206236
Journal
Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice Volume: 20 Issue: 3 Dated: August 2004 Pages: 276-291
Date Published
August 2004
Length
16 pages
Annotation
This study analyzed statewide variations in employer access to criminal history records to test whether observed racial differences in employment outcomes between Black and White men may be due to policies that restrict access to criminal history information.
Abstract
Previous research has demonstrated that having a criminal record is a major barrier to securing employment. These findings concern policymakers who worry that ex-offenders who cannot find employment will resort to criminal activity. This concern is supported by research that has shown that employment is a protective factor against future offending. It is not surprising that there is a long history of support for restricting access to criminal history records. By applying an economic analysis to this debate, it becomes evident that policies governing the use of criminal history records may affect individuals with no criminal histories, especially those non-offending individuals who belong to a demographic with high numbers of offenders, such as Black males. By restricting access to criminal histories to employers who think this information is important, such policies may promote discrimination toward groups perceived to have high criminal propensities. Drawing on data from the 2000 and 2001 Current Population Survey (CPS) extracted from the National Bureau of Economic Research, the author applies a simple economic analysis to the argument that employer access to criminal history records may increase the wages of individuals with no criminal histories and also has the potential to increase the average market wages of individuals who belong to groups with large numbers of offenders. The analysis, which focused on White and Black males, revealed an insignificant correlation in the expected directions between the wages and employment outcomes for White and Black men and employer access to criminal history records. This rudimentary analysis should be supplemented with a more detailed analysis that utilizes individual-level data on ex-offenders from different States. Tables, notes, references