Jobs After Jail
Americans with Criminal Records Face Heavy Obstacles to Employment
A new report from the Alliance for a Just Society’s Job Gap Economic Prosperity Series finds that the 70 million adults with conviction records face serious institutional barriers to employment after they are released from prison. Jobs After Jail finds that on average, states have more than 120 mandatory bans and restrictions for workers with felony convictions, including bans on employment in certain occupations and on obtaining certain types of licenses. The authors argue that such barriers, combined with other laws that make it more difficult for people with criminal records to access public benefits, often force these would-be workers into poverty after their release.