Degrees of difference: Do college credentials earned behind bars improve labor market outcomes?

IF 4.6 1区 社会学 Q1 CRIMINOLOGY & PENOLOGY
Abby Ballou
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引用次数: 0

Abstract

It is widely held that providing postsecondary education programs to incarcerated individuals will improve postrelease labor market outcomes. Little research evidence exists, however, to support this view. To test the effect of postsecondary carceral education credentials on employer perceptions of hireability, the current study uses a factorial design to survey a sample of employers nationwide (N = 2,538). Employers were presented with résumés of fictional applicants applying to a job as a customer service representative at a large call center. The résumés randomized education credentials earned while incarcerated. Results indicate that employers were significantly more willing to interview applicants with postsecondary education credentials relative to applicants with only a General Educational Development (GED) diploma. Although Black applicants who had earned a sub-baccalaureate certificate saw improvements in hireability relative to GED holders, Black applicants who had earned a bachelor's degree did not. In contrast, White applicants benefited both from sub-baccalaureate certificates and bachelor's degrees. Results from a mediation analysis suggest that these credentials signal important information to employers about applicant attributes and that improved perceptions of applicant ability and likelihood to reoffend drive the overall effect. Implications for future research and policy are explored.

Abstract Image

差异程度:在狱中获得的大学文凭能改善劳动力市场的结果吗?
人们普遍认为,为被监禁者提供中学后教育计划将改善释放后的劳动力市场成果。然而,支持这一观点的研究证据却很少。为了检验中学后监禁教育证书对雇主可雇佣性看法的影响,本研究采用因子设计,对全国范围内的雇主(N = 2,538)进行了抽样调查。研究人员向雇主展示了应聘大型呼叫中心客服代表职位的虚构求职者的简历。简历中随机列出了在监禁期间获得的教育证书。结果表明,与只有普通教育发展(GED)文凭的求职者相比,雇主明显更愿意面试拥有高等教育文凭的求职者。虽然与普通教育文凭持有者相比,获得副学士学位证书的黑人求职者的可雇佣性有所提高,但获得学士学位的黑人求职者的可雇佣性并没有提高。与此相反,白人申请者从学士学位证书和学士学位中都能获益。中介分析的结果表明,这些证书向雇主传递了有关申请者特质的重要信息,而对申请者能力和再犯罪可能性看法的改善则推动了整体效果的提高。本文探讨了对未来研究和政策的影响。
本文章由计算机程序翻译,如有差异,请以英文原文为准。
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来源期刊
Criminology
Criminology CRIMINOLOGY & PENOLOGY-
CiteScore
8.10
自引率
6.90%
发文量
28
期刊介绍: Criminology is devoted to crime and deviant behavior. Disciplines covered in Criminology include: - sociology - psychology - design - systems analysis - decision theory Major emphasis is placed on empirical research and scientific methodology. Criminology"s content also includes articles which review the literature or deal with theoretical issues stated in the literature as well as suggestions for the types of investigation which might be carried out in the future.
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