Perceptions and Experiences of the Formerly Incarcerated with Ban-the-Box
An estimated one in three adults has a criminal record. In response to the labor market barriers associated with having a record, some governments have implemented “ban-the-box” (BtB) policies, which prevent employers from asking applicants if they have a criminal record and mandate that employers refrain from conducting criminal background checks until after a conditional offer is made. Yet, their impact on the perceptions and experiences of the justice-involved remains unknown. Sociologist Sandra Susan Smith will address three questions through both in-person and phone surveys: 1) What factors predict that the justice-involved will have knowledge of BtB policies? 2) What factors predict that they will perceive BtB policies as relevant to their labor market outcomes? 3) To what extent and how do BtB policies shape justice-involved individuals’ patterns of job search?