Navigating Stigma and Barriers: The Impact of Criminal Records on Education, Employment, and Relationships

Session Submission Type: Pre-arranged Panel

Abstract

This panel explores the complex impact of criminal records on personal relationships, higher education, career prospects, and hiring practices. The first study investigates how crime, incarceration, and reentry affect interpersonal relationships, revealing that while many familial and romantic ties are strained or severed during incarceration, some individuals form new, meaningful relationships. The second paper highlights the challenges university students with criminal records face when entering the job market, exploring how they access career support and navigate the graduate job search with a criminal conviction. The third study examines applicant perceptions of pre-employment screening procedures, comparing criminal background checks and credit checks, revealing concerns about fairness and validity which may discourage individuals from applying for jobs. Lastly, the fourth study conducts a meta-analysis of field experiments on hiring discrimination against individuals with criminal records. It finds persistent discrimination over time and across countries, with variations based on race, ethnicity, and gender. Together, these studies underscore the importance of addressing the social and economic barriers faced by individuals with criminal records, particularly in terms of relationship support, career guidance, and fair hiring practices.

Subtopic

• Topic 5: Social Control and Criminal Justice / Non-Criminal Justice Responses to Delinquency (WG on Collateral Consequence of Criminal Records)

Chair

• Elina van 't Zand-Kurtovic, Leiden University

Individual Presentations

• The impact of crime, incarceration, and reentry on relationships - Douglas Evans, Fairleigh Dickinson University

• Investigating Career Support for University Students with Criminal Records - Charlotte Brooks, University of Nottingham; Nicola Collett, DeMontfort University; Scott Kidd, University of Lincoln

• Reactions towards pre-employment screening procedures: Perceptions of fairness and validity. - Ard Barends, Leiden University; Elina van 't Zand-Kurtovic, Leiden University

• Trends in Discrimination in Hiring Practices against Individuals with Criminal Records - Marti Rovira, Universitat Pompeu Fabra; David Kirk, University of Pennsylvania; Michael Vuolo, The Ohio State University