Abstract
In After Prison: Navigating Employment and Reintegration, editors Rose Ricciardelli and Adrienne M. F. Peters shed light on some of the obstacles the formerly incarcerated face when they return home, most notably the difficulties that surround work. An overarching theme of this volume centers on the idea that employment is critical to securing a variety of other needs, such as housing and food, all of which are necessary for a “successful reentry.” Moreover, employment has also been linked to a desistance from crime and an increased sense of stability and independence. However, the contributors show how securing and maintaining work is a challenge for the recently released, given the scarcity of programs in prison that equip prisoners with education and employment experience. Contributors also show how the stigma that accompanies having been incarcerated makes it more difficult to find work.
This volume includes both qualitative and quantitative studies and literature from a variety of contributors, including criminologists, psychologists, and social workers, in addition to scholars from other fields, as well as the experiences of a former prisoner, to show the difficulties the incarcerated face “after prison,” particularly for those living in Canada. This volume is unique in that it provides suggestions for policymakers to better assist former prisoners with finding and maintaining work, while also highlighting model reentry programs.
In the first section titled “The Employment Re-Entry Enigma/Dilemma,” contributor and former prisoner James Young (pseudonym) reflects on the difficulties he experienced when he was released from prison after serving a life sentence. Young details how he submitted more than 500 resumes but only received invites to three interviews. Although he eventually found work, he soon discovered that it came with little pay and a lengthy commute. Given the nature of the pay and the commute time, this work was not sustainable, so he quit. At the time of his writing, he was still searching for work.
Kemi S. Anazodo, Christopher Chan, and Ricciardelli discuss the relationship between desistance from crime and employment, as they show how the formerly incarcerated must overcome a number of barriers, from a loss of driver’s license, to limited job skills and education, to limited social support. The barriers that former prisoners face once they return home serve as an overarching theme throughout the volume.
Krystle Martin furthers this argument in her chapter, as she highlights how these barriers and the stigma that accompanies incarceration are exacerbated for former offenders with mental illness. Martin highlights the need for more meaningful reentry programs specifically designed to better assist those with mental illness, including the need for specialized training for employment specialists who work with this population.
In the second section, “Criminal Histories Employment Prospects, and Moving Forward,” Samantha McAleese explains how Canada’s Pardon Program removes offenses from criminal records. Although Canada’s program is certainly a step in the right direction to minimizing obstacles that accompany finding work, McAleese argues that these pardon programs often have lengthy wait times and are not available to all ex-offenders.
Ricciardelli and Taylor Mooney further discuss the stigma that accompanies incarceration in their qualitative study with parolees, as the parolees in their study described how stigma affected their ability to find work. In their chapter, Ricciardelli and Mooney provide suggestions to ease the stigma that accompanies incarceration by instituting meaningful reintegration programming such as educational and technology courses.
The third section, “Employment Reintegration Programming: Supportive Strategies and Related Outcomes” focuses on model programs and strategies to assist ex-offenders with reentry. Mike G. Harmon, Laura J. Hickman, Alexandra M. Arneson, and Ashley M. Hansen share findings from their study over Dave’s Killer Bread, Inc. (DKB), a company that hires those with criminal records. Through surveys with 425 DKB employees, Harmon and colleagues explored whether employees with a criminal record were more likely to receive disciplinary actions than employees without a record. Findings revealed that employees with a record did not experience higher rates of disciplinary actions.
Additionally, Christine Victoria Hough’s chapter centers on how South Asian/Muslim offenders living in Northwest England experience additional obstacles with reentry because of the criminal stereotypes that accompany the Muslim faith. Hough highlights the need for additional services that specifically assist this population with reentry.
Peters follows Hough’s argument by highlighting a model program aimed at gang-related youth in Canada called Career Path. Career Path equips youth with mentoring and support and connects them with prospective employers who serve as role models.
Ashley Brown, a case manager in Toronto who works with former prisoners, brings to light the need for meaningful relationships between former prisoners and those working in social services. As Brown notes, “success” in a program is often dependent on the case management services that clients receive, as these services play a critical role in helping offenders locate work and refrain from crime.
In the last section, “The Employment Reintegration of Unique Populations,” Dale C. Spencer’s work centers on former prisoners who are also homeless. Spencer argues that stigma is magnified for this population not only because they were incarcerated but also because they are homeless. Drawing on interviews with 70 homeless men in Chicago and Winnipeg, Spencer reveals how the homeless population face barriers with finding storage for their belongings while they are at work or on a job interview, as well as the struggles to secure proper interview/work attire.
Kimberley A. Clow explores whether individuals who have been wrongfully convicted face barriers when it comes to obtaining work. Findings revealed that those who were wrongfully convicted face the same stigma on the job market as those with a “true” conviction.
After Prison makes an important contribution to the field by highlighting some of the barriers that the formerly incarcerated face when they return home. The diversity of the contributors and the unique focus on Canada is certainly a strength of this volume, as much of the literature focuses on the United States, and this volume provides a nice comparative framework. I would recommend this book to those already familiar with mass incarceration and prison reintegration. Graduate students, researchers, and practitioners in criminology, sociology, social work, and other related fields will find this edited volume both compelling and informative, as it provides a richer understanding of the relationship between employment and reentry.