NCJ Number
59706
Date Published
1978
Length
16 pages
Annotation
EMPLOYER ATTITUDES TOWARD THE HIRING AND TRAINING OF EX-OFFENDERS IN HERRIN, ILL., WERE EXAMINED, AND THE USE OF PERSUASIVE COMMUNICATION TO HELP OFFENDERS GET JOBS AND THUS REDUCE RECIDIVISM WAS EVALUATED.
Abstract
THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP IN THE STUDY (19 EMPLOYERS) RECEIVED A COPY OF A PERSUASIVE COMMUNICATION PROGRAM URGING COMPANIES TO HELP OFFENDERS GET JOBS AND REDUCE RECIDIVISM. A CONTROL GROUP (22 EMPLOYERS) DID NOT RECEIVE THIS PROGRAM. A QUESTIONNAIRE THEN WAS ADMINISTERED TO A STRATIFIED RANDOM SAMPLE OF EMPLOYERS IN HERRIN THAT COMPRISED BOTH EXPERIMENTAL AND CONTROL GROUPS TO MEASURE EMPLOYER ATTITUDES TOWARD THE HIRING AND TRAINING OF EX-OFFENDERS AND DETERMINE THE EFFECTS OF THE COMMUNICATION. IT WAS ASSUMED THAT TYPES OF EMPLOYERS (SERVICE, MANUFACTURING, AND SALES) WOULD START OUT WITH ABOUT THE SAME ATTITUDES TOWARD THE HIRING OF EX-OFFENDERS BECAUSE OF THE RANDOMIZATION PROCESS USED IN ASSIGNING THEM TO EXPERIMENTAL OR CONTROL GROUPS. THE PREDICTION THAT EXPERIMENTAL TREATMENT INVOLVING PERSUASIVE COMMUNICATION WOULD PRODUCE AN INCREASE IN POSITIVE ATTITUDES TOWARD THE EMPLOYMENT OF EX-OFFENDERS WAS NOT SUPPORTED ACROSS THE BOARD. THE AVERAGE ATTITUDE SCORE OF EMPLOYERS IN THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP, HOWEVER, WAS HIGHER THAN THAT IN THE CONTROL GROUP. FURTHERMORE, THE PREDICTION WAS PARTIALLY SUPPORTED WHEN THERE WAS AN INCREMENT IN POSITIVE ATTITUDES BETWEEN THE EXPERIMENTAL VS. CONTROL SERVICE AGENCIES AND A DECREMENT IN THAT BETWEEN THE EXPERIMENTAL VS. CONTROL MANUFACTURING COMPANIES. THE DATA ALSO INDICATED THAT EMPLOYERS SHOW A PREFERENCE TO HIRE EX-OFFENDERS FOR JOBS THAT DO NOT REQUIRE PUBLIC CONTACT. PERSUASIVE COMMUNICATION APPEARED TO HAVE AN ADVERSE IMPACT ON EMPLOYERS INVOLVED IN MANUFACTURING, POSSIBLY BECAUSE THEY FELT THEY WOULD BE IMMEDIATELY APPROACHED, BUT DID HAVE SOME POSITIVE EFFECTS ON OTHER EMPLOYERS. SUPPORTING DATA, A BIBLIOGRAPHY, AND THE STUDY QUESTIONNAIRE ARE INCLUDED. (DEP)