Finding employment is essential to building a stable life and avoiding criminal activity after a conviction or prison sentence. However, there is extensive evidence that employers are reluctant to hire people with criminal records. Given the high number of unemployed people with criminal records (65% of all unemployed men), the potential impact of interventions that increase hiring is significant. Unfortunately, many interventions aimed at increasing employment for people with criminal records, often by limiting the information available to employers about a candidate’s criminal record, have failed to deliver meaningful gains.
Surveys of employers suggest that concerns about crime risks are important. Promising evidence suggests that providing “crime and safety” insurance to employers — thus shifting the risk from them to the government or other entity providing that insurance — increases their willingness to hire people with criminal records. In general, approaches that provide more information about job seekers or that directly address employers’ concerns could be effective and merit broader evaluation.
