Impact of Employment Satisfaction and Stress on Time to Recidivism

ABSTRACT Age-graded theories of crime attempt to understand the predictors of continuity and change in offending, where informal social institutions, such as employment, are posited as turning points leading to desistance from crime. Research testing the relationship between employment and offending finds employment playing an important role in the desistance process; however, questions remain of the importance of job quality. Studies examining job quality and recidivism have inconsistently applied the concept of quality. Using a sample of releases from the Serious and Violent Offender Reentry Initiative, this study examines how job satisfaction and stress influence time to recidivism. Results indicate that job satisfaction is significantly related to increased time to rearrest, but no significant relationship was found for job stress.