Race, Employment and a Criminal Record: Devah Pager

Summary

The video explores the challenges faced by formerly incarcerated individuals, particularly focusing on how criminal records affect job prospects and how race exacerbates these difficulties. An experiment shows that ex-offenders face significant hurdles in employment, with Black applicants facing higher discrimination, even without a criminal record. The study highlights the critical need to address racial disparities and support ex-offenders in finding jobs to reduce recidivism. It suggests reforms like banning the box on job applications to allow fairer assessments and underscores the impact of mass incarceration on racial inequality in the U.S.

Takeaways

• 📈 The United States has over 2 million people incarcerated and the highest incarceration rate in the world.
• 🚪 Each year, over 700,000 individuals are released from prison, facing difficulties reintegrating into society and finding jobs.
• 🔍 A study was conducted to examine how having a criminal record affects job prospects, particularly in relation to race.
• 📉 Ex-offenders face poor employment outcomes due to factors like low education, inconsistent work history, and mental health issues.
• 👨‍🔬 The study used an experimental audit with matched pairs of job applicants, differing only in race and criminal record, to isolate the effect of a felony conviction.
• ⚖️ Results showed that white applicants with no criminal record were called back for jobs at double the rate of whites with a record (34% vs. 17%).
• ⚠️ Black applicants with no criminal record had lower callback rates than whites, and those with a record faced even worse outcomes (14% vs. 5%).
• ❗ A surprising finding was that white applicants with a criminal record fared better than black applicants with no criminal record.
• 📊 Racial disparities in incarceration are vast, with 12% of young Black men incarcerated at any given time, compared to less than 2% of young white men.
• 📋 The study advocates for 'ban the box' policies, which allow ex-offenders to interact with employers before revealing their criminal history, improving their employment chances.

Q & A

What is the main issue discussed in the script?

The main issue discussed is mass incarceration in the United States and its impact on prisoner re-entry, particularly how a criminal record affects employment opportunities, especially when considering race.

How many people are incarcerated in the United States, according to the script?

There are currently more than 2 million people incarcerated in the United States.

How does the U.S. incarceration rate compare globally?

The United States has the highest rate of incarceration in the world.

What challenge do the 700,000 people released from prison each year face?

These individuals struggle to find work and reintegrate into society after being released from prison.

What was the aim of the experiment mentioned in the script?

The aim of the experiment was to examine how having a criminal record influences an individual’s chances of finding a job and how that process may differ based on race.

What is an experimental audit study, as described in the script?

An experimental audit study involves sending matched pairs of job applicants (or testers) to apply for real job openings to observe how employers respond to applicants who are otherwise equally qualified but differ by certain characteristics, such as race or criminal background.

What were the main findings of the study regarding white applicants?

The study found that about 34% of white applicants with no criminal record received callbacks or job offers, while only 17% of whites with a criminal record received callbacks, indicating that a criminal record reduces job opportunities by about 50% for white applicants.

How did black applicants fare compared to white applicants in the study?

Black applicants without a criminal record received callbacks at only 14%, compared to 34% for white applicants without a criminal record. Black applicants with a criminal record received callbacks at just 5%.

What surprising finding did the study reveal about race and criminal records?

The study revealed that a white applicant with a felony conviction had about the same chances of getting a job as a black applicant with no criminal record, showing that race can play a role as significant as a criminal record in employment outcomes.

What is 'ban the box,' and how does it help ex-offenders?

'Ban the box' refers to removing the question about criminal records from job applications. This gives applicants a chance to make a personal impression on employers before being judged based on their criminal record, improving their employment outcomes.

Outlines

00:00

📊 The Scale of Mass Incarceration and Its Impact on Employment

This paragraph highlights the vast scale of mass incarceration in the United States, which holds the highest rate of incarceration globally. With over 2 million people in prison and 700,000 individuals released annually, there is a significant challenge in reintegrating these people into society, particularly in securing employment. The focus of the research is to understand how a criminal record affects job prospects, especially considering racial disparities. Ex-offenders face numerous challenges, such as low education, limited work experience, and issues like substance abuse, all of which make securing stable jobs difficult.

05:03

🔍 Experimenting to Uncover Racial and Criminal Record Biases in Employment

The paragraph explains the methodology used in the experiment—a matched-pairs audit study—designed to isolate the impact of a criminal record and race on employment prospects. White and Black men were hired as testers, and one person from each pair was randomly assigned a fake criminal record. The experiment aimed to determine how employers responded to these variables. By alternating the criminal record between the pairs, the study ensured fairness, allowing researchers to attribute differences in employment outcomes solely to the presence of a criminal record or race.

📉 White Applicants with Criminal Records and Employment Opportunities

This section presents findings from the white applicants' results. Among white applicants, those without a criminal record had a 34% callback rate, while those with a criminal record had only a 17% callback rate, a reduction of nearly 50%. This demonstrates the significant negative impact of a criminal record on job prospects for white individuals.

⚖️ Racial Disparities in Employment: Comparing Black and White Applicants

This paragraph highlights the stark racial disparities in employment opportunities. Only 14% of Black applicants without a criminal record received a callback, compared to 34% of similarly qualified white applicants. Even more troubling, Black applicants with no criminal record fared worse than white applicants with a felony conviction, showcasing the deep racial bias in hiring processes.

🚨 The Wider Impact of Mass Incarceration on Black Communities

Here, the focus shifts to the disproportionate impact of mass incarceration on Black men. With 12% of young Black men incarcerated at any given time, and nearly one-third expected to spend time in prison during their lives, the paragraph underscores how incarceration has become a common life event for disadvantaged Black men, exacerbating social and economic inequalities.

🔑 Addressing the Employment Challenges of Ex-Offenders

This paragraph discusses the vital importance of employment for ex-offenders to prevent recidivism. The best predictor of whether someone will return to prison is whether they can secure steady employment. Addressing the employment challenges faced by ex-offenders should be a top priority if society wants to reduce crime rates and promote successful reintegration.

🚫 Ban the Box: A Solution to Promote Fair Employment

This section advocates for 'banning the box'—removing questions about criminal records from job applications. By doing so, ex-offenders would have a chance to present their qualifications and make a personal impression on employers before being judged on their criminal past. The study showed that testers who had a chance to interact with employers before revealing their record had better outcomes.

🏢 A Call for Change: Rethinking Employment and Criminal Justice

The final paragraph emphasizes the connection between poverty, racial inequality, and the criminal justice system. It calls for a rethinking of the system and for providing employment opportunities to formerly incarcerated young men, especially those from Black communities. The paragraph concludes with a call to action for creating jobs for these individuals to help them rebuild their lives.

Keywords

💡Mass incarceration

Mass incarceration refers to the extremely high rates of imprisonment in the United States, which the video highlights as a significant social issue. The U.S. has the highest rate of incarceration in the world, with over 2 million people in prison. This concept is central to the video, as it discusses the broader impacts of mass incarceration on society, particularly how it disproportionately affects certain communities, especially African Americans.

💡Prisoner re-entry

Prisoner re-entry refers to the process of individuals returning to society after being released from prison. The video emphasizes that over 700,000 people are released each year, many of whom struggle with reintegration, including finding employment. The difficulty of this transition is tied to the stigma of having a criminal record, which affects their opportunities and likelihood of reoffending.

💡Criminal record

A criminal record is a documented history of a person's interactions with the criminal justice system, including convictions and incarcerations. In the video, a criminal record is shown to drastically reduce job prospects, as employers tend to discriminate against applicants with felony convictions. The study featured in the video investigates how having a criminal record impacts employment opportunities and compares outcomes based on race.

💡Racial disparities

Racial disparities refer to the unequal treatment or outcomes experienced by different racial groups. The video highlights how African Americans, particularly young Black men, are disproportionately affected by the criminal justice system. It notes that Black men are incarcerated at much higher rates than white men, which amplifies challenges like unemployment after release from prison. These disparities are key to understanding how race influences opportunities for reintegration.

💡Employment discrimination

Employment discrimination in the video refers to the unequal treatment job applicants receive based on their criminal record and race. The experiment demonstrates that individuals with criminal records face reduced chances of getting hired, and Black applicants, even without a criminal record, are less likely to receive job callbacks compared to white applicants. This highlights how both race and criminal history serve as barriers to employment.

💡Audit study

An audit study is a research method used to measure discrimination by sending matched pairs of individuals with similar qualifications to apply for jobs, differing only in one characteristic, such as race or criminal record. The video explains how this method was used to isolate the effect of a criminal record and race on job prospects by randomly assigning a criminal record to one person in each pair of job applicants.

💡Ban the box

Ban the box is a policy initiative aimed at removing the question about criminal convictions from job applications. The video discusses this as a potential solution to help ex-offenders make a personal impression on employers before being judged for their criminal past. By banning the box, the goal is to reduce initial discrimination based on a criminal record, giving applicants a better chance at securing employment.

💡Recidivism

Recidivism refers to the tendency of formerly incarcerated individuals to reoffend and return to prison. The video underscores that stable employment is a key factor in preventing recidivism. If ex-offenders are unable to find jobs, they are more likely to fall back into criminal behavior, highlighting the importance of supporting re-entry into the workforce.

💡Felony conviction

A felony conviction is a serious criminal charge that often results in imprisonment and a permanent criminal record. The video focuses on how a felony conviction dramatically reduces a person’s chance of getting a job, especially when compared to individuals without such a record. The experiment featured in the video involves simulating job applications where testers falsely claim to have felony convictions to study its effects.

💡Social stratification

Social stratification refers to the hierarchical arrangement of individuals in society based on various factors such as race, class, and criminal record. The video suggests that the criminal justice system is a significant mechanism of stratification, particularly for young Black men, whose chances of employment are diminished even more than those of white ex-offenders. This contributes to wider social inequalities.

Highlights

The United States has the highest rate of incarceration in the world, with over 2 million people currently incarcerated.

Mass incarceration directly contributes to a significant problem of prisoner re-entry, with over 700,000 individuals released from prison each year struggling to reintegrate into society.

A study was conducted to examine how a criminal record influences job prospects and how this varies by race.

The study used an experimental audit method, sending matched pairs of job applicants (testers) to apply for real job openings to measure employer responses.

The testers were divided into pairs of young white men and young black men, with one member of each pair randomly assigned a criminal record.

White testers without a criminal record received callbacks or job offers 34% of the time, compared to 17% for those with a criminal record, indicating a 50% reduction in employment opportunities.

Black testers without a criminal record received callbacks or job offers 14% of the time, compared to only 5% for those with a criminal record.

A surprising finding was that white applicants with a felony conviction fared just as well, if not better, than black applicants with no criminal record.

Being black in America is shown to have a similar impact on employment prospects as having a felony conviction.

The study highlights the severe racial disparities in the criminal justice system, with 12% of young black men incarcerated at any given time, compared to less than 2% of young white men.

Approximately one in three young black men will spend time in prison during their lifetime, with this figure rising to nearly 60% for young black male high school dropouts.

The criminal justice system is identified as a significant mechanism of stratification among young black men.

The study underscores the importance of employment in preventing recidivism, with steady employment being the top predictor of whether an individual will return to prison.

One proposed solution is to 'ban the box,' removing the question about criminal records from job applications to allow applicants to be judged on their qualifications first.

When applicants had the chance to speak with employers before revealing their criminal records, they had much better employment outcomes.

The study concludes that addressing the challenges of re-entry, particularly through employment, is crucial to reducing poverty and racial inequality.

Transcripts

[MUSIC PLAYING]

There are currently more than 2 million people

incarcerated in this country.

And the United States now has the highest rate

of incarceration in the world.

The problem of mass incarceration

directly translates into a problem of prisoner re-entry.

With over 700,000 individuals being released from prison

each year, we've got a huge population

that is struggling to find work and to reintegrate

into society.

What I wanted to do was to find out

how the effect of a criminal record

might influence people's chances of finding a job,

and how that process may differ depending

on the race of the job applicant.

We know that ex-offenders have on average poor employment outcomes

But we know very little about why.

Ex-offenders have low levels of schooling.

They have little or spotty work experience.

On average, ex-offenders are more

likely to have problems with substance

abuse and mental illness.

All of these things can contribute

to having trouble finding and keeping a steady job.

And so in order to isolate the effect of a criminal record

from all of these other associated characteristics,

I turned to an experiment.

So specifically I'm using what's called an experimental audit study.

And the basic design of an audit involves

sending matched pairs of job applicants, who are also

referred to as testers, to apply for real job openings

in order to see how employers respond to otherwise equally

qualified applicants who differ only

according to their selected characteristics.

In this case, according to their race or criminal background.

I hired a pair of young white men

and a pair of young black men.

And for each pair, I randomly assigned one individual

in the pair a criminal record.

What this means is none of the young men in the study who

were posing as job applicants actually

had criminal records in real life,

but for the purposes of these applications,

they communicated to employers that they

had a felony conviction.

Most job applications have a question

on the application form that asks:

Have you ever been convicted of a felony?

So the testers, when applying for these jobs, check the box

"Yes, I have been convicted of a felony,"

and explained their conviction, that they'd

spent 18 months in prison and that they'd just been

released in the previous month.

Then, each week the applicant pair

alternated who presented himself as having the criminal record.

And this is important that we were able to randomly assign

the criminal record to testers.

Because if there's anything about the individual testers

that might have made them more or less appealing from one

another, we didn't want that to be confounding the effect

of the criminal record.

So we tried to match the testers on every dimension possible

that we could think of, but if there was something

that we didn't notice or that we left out,

this ability to randomly assign the criminal record meant

that each tester served in a criminal record condition

for an equal number of cases.

So looking first at the outcomes for white testers,

we see that about 34% of whites with no criminal record

received a callback or job offer, compared to just 17%

of whites with a criminal record.

So we see that a criminal record reduces employment

opportunities by about 50%.

In the case of black testers, 14%

of those with no criminal background

received a call back or job offer, relative to just 5%

of blacks with a criminal record.

When we compare the outcomes of black and white testers side-by-side,

what's most striking is the direct effect

of race on the outcomes of these young men.

A black applicant with no criminal background

received callbacks or job offers at about half the rate

as an equally qualified white applicant.

But the most surprising finding was really

related to blacks with no criminal background

relative to whites with a felony conviction.

We find that a white applicant with a felony conviction

fared just as well, if not better,

relative to a black applicant with a clean record.

This suggests the being black in America

today is essentially like having a felony

conviction in terms of one's chances of finding employment.

The massive expansion in the criminal justice system

has not affected all groups equally.

Today's system of incarceration is characterized

by large racial disparities.

About 12% of young black men are incarcerated at any given time,

compared to less than 2% of young white men.

About one in three young black men will spend time in prison

at some point during his lifetime.

And for young black male high school dropouts,

that figure is close to 60%.

So incarceration is becoming an increasingly common event

in the life course trajectory of young, disadvantaged men.

These results point to the incredibly large and lingering

effects of direct racial discrimination in this country.

And in fact, point to the criminal justice system

as an important mechanism of stratification

among young black men today.

The United States has engaged in this grand experiment

with the buildup of mass incarceration,

but very little thought went into what happens

when these people come out.

We know that finding quality, steady employment

is the number one predictor of whether

or not an individual returns to prison

after having been released.

So if we want to keep these individuals crime free,

if we want to keep them from returning to prison,

helping ex-offenders find employment is the number one

priority.

One thing we could do is to ban the box.

That essentially means removing the question

from application forms that asks applicants

about their criminal record.

What this does is to allow job applicants

to make a personal impression on employers

before being judged on the basis of their criminal record.

In my study, the testers who actually had a chance

to talk to employers and get to know them

before revealing their criminal record

had much better employment outcomes.

Employers had a chance to get to know them

based on their actual qualifications

before ruling them out on the basis

of that single characteristic.

If we care about poverty and racial inequality,

we need to think about the criminal justice

system and the large numbers of young men being

released into communities bearing

the mark of a criminal record.

We need to find these young men jobs.

[MUSIC PLAYING]