Criminal Record Questions on Job Applications as a Self-Selection Mechanism for Applying for Employment

与那些没有犯罪记录的人相比，有犯罪记录的人在就业方面表现更差。实验证据表明，雇主更喜欢那些没有记录的人，而有记录的有色人种尤其受到歧视。虽然人们对雇主的招聘偏好了解很多，但对有犯罪记录的申请人是否会避开或偏爱特定的雇主却知之甚少。换句话说，有犯罪记录的人甚至可能不会申请某些职位，因为他们认为获得工作的可能性很低，或者因为他们担心在申请过程中被雇主污名化。就业是防止重新犯罪的最重要纽带之一。如果个人选择不申请某些职位，这种选择将降低形成这种重要联系的几率。因此，了解有犯罪记录的个人在何种条件下选择申请工作，对于帮助个人重新融入社会和预防犯罪至关重要。 本研究项目将采访140名有犯罪记录的人，他们是从俄亥俄州哥伦布大都市区的犯罪重返组织和中途之家招募的。通过2017年完成的试点研究制定了采访指南和简短调查。深度面试将提供有关求职经历和选择的细微信息。面试询问的主题包括有犯罪记录之前和之后的求职经历，求职申请中的犯罪记录问题或背景调查声明是否会阻止个人申请职位，个人在申请过程中的记录如何，以及他们寻求的行业类型。该调查收集有关社会人口统计、犯罪史、就业史和个人求职困难的补充信息。受访者将在六个月后再次接受采访，以了解劳动力市场的新经验是否会改变有记录者的选择，这是否与劳动力市场结果相关的背景因素（如种族）不同，以及选择变化的根本原因，如与耻辱感相关的因素。该项目直接涉及目前关于如何在求职过程中最好地为有犯罪记录的个人提供公平评估的公共政策辩论，以便他们能够体验到就业这一重要社会纽带的好处，这一点在禁止使用盒子运动（旨在消除求职中的犯罪记录问题）中得到最好的体现。通过将讨论从雇主的决定转移到申请人的决定，这些结果可能会从根本上改变我们思考和评估这些政策的方式。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Individuals with criminal records fare worse at obtaining employment compared to those with clean records. Experimental evidence shows that employers prefer those with clean records, and that persons of color with records are particularly discriminated against. While much is known about employer hiring preferences, little is known about whether applicants with criminal records avoid or prefer particular employers. In other words, individuals with criminal records may not even apply to certain positions due to perceived low odds of getting the job or because they fear being stigmatized by employers in the application process. Employment is one of the most critical bonds for preventing a return to crime. If individuals elect not to apply for certain positions, such choices will decrease the odds of forming this important bond. Understanding under what conditions individuals with records choose to apply for jobs is therefore central to efforts to help individuals reintegrate into society and prevent crime. This research project will interview 140 individuals with criminal records recruited from criminal reentry organizations and halfway houses in the Columbus, OH metropolitan area. An interview guide and brief survey were developed through a pilot study completed in 2017. In-depth interviews will provide nuanced information regarding job search experiences and choices. The interviews query topics such as experiences with job searches both before and after having a criminal record, whether criminal records questions or background check statements on job applications prevent individuals from applying for positions, how forthcoming individuals are about their record in the application process, and what types of industries they seek out. The survey gathers complementary information on socio-demographics, criminal history, employment history, and personal difficulties in applying for jobs. Respondents will be re-interviewed six months later in order to understand whether new experiences in the labor market alter choices among those with records, whether this differs by background factors related to labor market outcomes such as race, and the underlying reasons for any changes in choices such as those related to stigma. This project directly addresses ongoing public policy debates regarding how best to provide individuals with criminal records a fair assessment in the job application process so that they can experience the benefits of the important social bond of employment, best epitomized by the Ban the Box movement (which seeks to eliminate criminal record questions from job applications). By moving the discussion from decisions of employers to those of applicants, these results may fundamentally change the way we think about and evaluate these policies.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.