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Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 (NLSY97) and a supplemental COVID sample of NLSY97 respondents, we examined the associations between three measures of criminal justice contact and several indicators of labor market participation during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings indicated that a history of adult criminal justice contact was associated with higher odds of being out of the labor market during the pandemic. However, among those in the workforce, criminal justice contact was also associated with higher odds of stopping work, working reduced hours, experiencing decreased wages, not working from home, and having close contact with others at work. Additional analyses suggest that deeper levels of contact were sometimes associated with worse outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reducing crime rate in a country is the most important concern of developing robust systems to automate the criminal record-obtaining process. Generally, the criminal record is managed manually, which makes the information collection from other criminal records very difficult. Therefore, investigations that could be carried out using criminal records to understand the purpose of crime and countering it are outdated. However, the integrity, security, and traceability of data exchange, especially for the judicial sector are the most frequent issues faced by information systems of public organizations. In this paper, we present a study of using blockchain technology and smart contracts to design a new architecture for a decentralized system to manage criminal record storage. This proposed architecture automates the process of getting a criminal record by moving past the techniques employed in developing traditional systems of data management such as centralized systems. In this study, blockchain technology is used to ensure data security, integrity, and traceability as well as ensure timely access to criminal records, and smart contracts are used to allow traceability and authenticity. This architecture will significantly reduce the impact of corruption in law enforcement by eliminating fraud cases, which will revolutionize E-governance in the Moroccan country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Applying to jobs after graduation from an MSW program brings different challenges for different candidates. Stigmatizing variables such as education or work gaps, criminal records, and even reasonable accommodation needs for a disability can all impact how candidates are viewed by prospective employers. It is important for graduates to take control of their own narratives and provide context and self-advocacy to prevent these variables from becoming barriers. This article discusses 3 primary areas in which MSW graduates may face employer bias or discrimination: work/education history, criminal records, and disability accommodations. Each area will include background, legal guidance, and recommendations for best practice, and resource links for candidates will also be provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of administrative prejudice, which enables the imposition of criminal liability for repeated commission of an administrative offense, has been the subject of sustained scrutiny among scholars. This attention is driven by starkly contrasting doctrinal viewpoints on the appropriateness of utilizing administrative prejudice as a method of criminalization. Given the substantial and noteworthy arguments presented by both opponents and detractors of the criminalizing repeated administrative offenses, it is impractical to comprehensively address them in a single publication. Hence, it is justifiable to endeavor to evaluate key arguments put forth by scholars, including their linkage between administrative prejudice and the longstanding legal principle of non bis in idem. The aim of this study is to assess administrative prejudice within the framework of the principle of non bis in idem. The research methodology is rooted in dialectical materialism, employing both general scientific (system-structural, formal-logical, inductive and deductive, analysis and synthesis) and specific (formal-legal, comparative-legal) methods. The findings indicate that the domestic legislator does not appear to contravene the tenets of the non bis in idem principle by enacting norms involving administrative prejudice. A generous interpretation of this principle, which precludes taking into account prior offenses when addressing subsequent ones, is deemed unwarranted. Steadfastly holding that administrative prejudice is compatible with the principle of non bis in idem should logically necessitate proponents of this position to challenge several other established institutions and norms that require consideration of pre-criminal conduct, particularly recidivism and criminal record, essentially entailing an assessment of the “dangerous state of the individual”.

Using an experimental vignette design, the study investigates the effects of criminal records on the hiring decisions of a convenience sample of 221 human resource (HR) managers in Ghana. The HR managers were randomly assigned to read one of four vignettes depicting job seekers of different genders and criminal records: male with and without criminal record, female with and without criminal record. The evidence shows that a criminal record reduces employment opportunities for female offenders but not for their male counterparts. Additionally, HR managers are willing to offer interviews to job applicants, irrespective of their criminal records, if they expect other managers to hire ex‐convicts. The implications of these findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: What is the effect of having a criminal record compared to having the criminal record expunged in exchange for participating in a rehabilitative programme? The available evidence focuses on programmes comprised of the criminal record for the offence (i.e. labelling) and a punitive sanction or rehabilitative scheme. The interaction between the labelling and the sanction has made distinguishing the effect of each penological approach a challenge. Methods: We use a pretest–posttest control group design with a cohort of 341 low-harm offenders randomly assigned to either a simple, unconditional, caution or a 16-week rehabilitation treatment programme (after which the criminal record was automatically expunged). New crimes and a measure of harm were used as outcome variables. Results: Intention-to-treat analysis shows no significant difference in prevalence, crime count or crime harm. Factoring in those individuals who actually completed the programme changes this story. An instrumental variables analysis used to adjust for treatment compliance suggests that the offer to expunge the criminal record following participation in rehabilitation programmes reduces both crime count and crime harm. Conclusions: We conclude that as evidence on the adverse effects of criminal records on recidivism mounts, out of court disposals that lead to an expungement of the label 'offender' may provide promising intervention for low-harm offences. The experiment also highlighted the importance of secondary analytic strategies in experiments alongside the standard intention-to-treat model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A criminal record is an official document filed with the police that contains a person's criminal history. In practice, managing criminal record data is not easy, the complex challenge is the risk of data manipulation. Data manipulation is carried out for various purposes, one of which is deleting or changing data for certain purposes. The increase in cyber crime in Indonesia does not rule out the possibility that criminal record data will be hacked. Blockchain technology, through smart contracts, is an innovative solution to overcome the problem of data manipulation. Blockchain as an immutable distributed digital ledger, provides guarantees of data security and integrity. By adopting smart contracts in data collection, it can increase the speed of information access, reduce the risk of manipulation and provide a high level of transparency. A feasibility study regarding the importance of implementing Blockchain technology for storing criminal records needs to be carried out before deciding to realize this technology. The aim of this research is to analyze how important it is that criminal record data must be secured using Blockchain technology in Central Java. Qualitative methods were used in this research, data collection was carried out using interview techniques with predetermined sources

The subject of the study is the provisions of criminal, criminal procedural and criminal exe cutive legislation, as well as acts of interpretation and judicial practice related to the legal regulation of exemption from criminal liability or punishment of those who have committed a crime. The purpose of the study is to compare the provisions of the criminal law regulating the grounds for exemption from criminal liability and punishment with the norms of criminal procedure law regul ating the procedure for making final decisions on the termination of a criminal case (prosecution). Using the general scientific dialectical method, as well as the methods of formal legal analysis and synthesis, the author identified and demonstrated contradictions between the norms of substantive and procedural law in terms of substantiating the grounds for terminating a criminal case (prosec ution) and the grounds for exemption from criminal liability (punishment). Conclusions. Ignoring the provisions of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, which contains an exhaustive list of grounds and conditions for exemption from criminal liability and punishment, results in uncertain legal consequences for those who have committed crimes, both as to criminal law coercive measures and determining the general legal consequences for a person committing a crime. Thus, in some cases, courts are forced to make decisions on exemption from punishment due to the expiry of the statute of limitations, despite the fact that Art. 78 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation requires that such persons be exempted from criminal liability. On the other hand, Art. 398 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation contains a special provision for deferring the execution of a sentence, which is not found in the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation either as a basis for exemption from liability or from punishment. It is proposed to eliminate the exis ting contradictions in the branches of law by unifying the norms of criminal procedural legisl ation and bringing them into conformity with the norms of substantive criminal law that regulate the e xemption from criminal liability and punishment.

Copyright of Journal of Changzhou University (Social Science Edition) is the property of Editorial Department of Journal of Changzhou University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Over the years, cases of fraud have been discovered where donors have been lying about their characteristics. The question raised by such cases is what the responsibility of the gamete bank is for the non-medical information provided by the donor. The problem is that extended donor profiles contain a large amount of information about different aspects of the donor's life and that not all this information can be verified or is worth verifying. Two cases are scrutinized in more detail: education and criminal record. The proposed solution is to split the donor information into a verified and a non-verified part with the non-verified part falling under the responsibility of the donor. The question of what information should be included in the verified part of the donor profile is still open. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper combines life course theory and empirical research on the collateral consequences of punishment as a backdrop to exploring the relationship between both the presence of and seriousness of a criminal record measured in early adulthood (age 25) and later life outcomes (ages 41-49), both in total and by socioeconomic status. The analysis relies on a combination of longitudinal survey data and administrative register data for 2,022 individuals who were between 12 and 20 years old when the data collection started. Results show that the criminal record is linked to both labor market and social exclusion later in life, but most systematically to (worse) labor market outcomes. Somewhat surprisingly, low SES seems to "buffer" against some of the unwanted outcomes linked to having a more serious criminal record, while high SES seems to "boost" others. Implications for future research on both deviance and stratification are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, the United States has seen the simultaneous rise of mass incarceration and homelessness. The two crises interact with and worsen one another. Mass incarceration and homelessness are driven by the same structural factors and exacerbate one another in a feedback loop. People on community supervision face many barriers to housing, putting them at high risk of experiencing homelessness in the months following release. People experiencing homelessness are at heightened risk of criminal justice involvement, including violating the terms of their community supervision, for engaging in survival behaviors in public spaces. This paper presents evidence-based approaches to improving housing strategies for reentry populations, preventing homelessness among those in community supervision, and rehousing members of the reentry community experiencing homelessness. It concludes with recommendations for policymakers interested in improving housing outcomes and overall reentry success for people on community supervision.

Expungement, which traditionally permitted reintegration into society and the turning over of a new leaf – thus giving a second chance to people who had had the misfortune to fall foul of criminal justice systems – is a legal institution that is currently being undermined. As the cyber-vetting of potential employees is a growing trend, employers readily turn to the internet in order to seek information about job candidates. In this article, the role of expungement in legal systems and society will be examined, as well as the changing reality that is undermining expungement, in order to determine how the issue of expungement should be addressed. In particular, the article discusses the possibility of expungement being incorporated in search engines (including AI chatbots) and in the actual design of AI recruitment tools in order to facilitate the re-entry of ex-offenders into the employment marketplace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After World War II, the communist security apparatus blackmailed, persecuted and murdered priests who resisted the government. In every political trial against Polish citizens, some priest or other clergyman sat on the defendants’ behalf. In addition to the accusations of inciting war, accusations of moral corruption of youth and children, embezzlement, attempts to overthrow the system, espionage for foreign intelligence, etc., were also common. The resources of the Office for the Disclosure and Archiving of Documents of the branch of the Institute of National Remembrance in Warsaw contain a collection of documents consisting of 37 typescript cards with the title: Statement of facts and symptoms of hostile activities performed by spiritual persons of the roman-catholic Church in the Gorzow (Gorzów) diocese in the period of 1945–1963. The title page of the collection indicates that it was produced in Office „C” of the Ministry of Internal Affairs with the preservation of „classified” clause. It was declassified by the decision of the Head of the Office for State Protection of October 5, 1999 and transferred to the resources of the Institute of National Remembrance in Warsaw, when this institution was established, where it was given the reference number: IPN BU 0397/468, vol. At the seat of the Office for Disclosure and Archiving of Documents of the Institute of National Remembrance in Szczecin, as part of the research project carried out on June 25, 2009, copies of these documents were made and the author was in possession of these. Based on this archival collection, a historical analysis was made according to the nature of crimes related to the hostile activity of the Roman Catholic Church clergy in terms of legal and propaganda terminology from the communist period. These were the classifications of crimes: activities related to the underground, espionage, illegal possession of weapons, enemy propaganda (e.g. against patriots and political organizations, against the political principles of the People’s Republic of Poland, against the policy of the state towards the Church, and others) and against the legislation of the Polish People’s Republic (i.e. the decree on freedom of conscience and religion, the law on assemblies, the law on termination of pregnancy, secularism, financial regulations and ordinances, construction regulations, distribution without debit and others). According to the data contained therein, in general, 162 priests were hostile against the authorities, while the recorded facts of hostile actions by the clergy were recorded 215.

As police records expand with big data analytics, so too has the range of non-conviction information seeping into the public domain through criminal background checks. Numerous studies have documented the negative effects of background checks for those with criminal convictions, but less understood are the effects of non-conviction records. We draw on 8 focus groups and 52 interviews to understand how the release of non-conviction records are: (1) creating new institutional risk management pressures for police institutions, (2) expanding the role of employers as arbiters of risk, (3) redefining understandings of 'the risky subject' to include victims, those with mental health challenges and other innocent individuals subject to police contact and (4) raising critical legal questions about privacy and presumptions of innocence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various studies have shown that convicted offenders often face difficulties in finding employment. These studies, however, only examined traditional types of crime and little is known about the job opportunities of convicted cybercrime offenders. Therefore, this study examines the influences of being convicted for a cybercrime on labour market chances in the IT sector in the Netherlands. An experiment was conducted in which fictitious job applications were sent to existing job openings between March and June 2021 (N = 300), varying for type of crime (cybercrime, property crime, no offence) and ethnic background (Dutch or Turkish). In order to test the hypotheses, logistic regression analyses were carried out to test whether differences in responses were significant. No significant differences in positive responses were found between cybercrime offenders and non-offenders, implying that cybercrime offenders do not have less labour market opportunities. Moreover, significant differences were found between Dutch and Turkish applicants. The results of this study indicate that results from previous studies on job opportunities of traditional offenders are not generalisable to cybercrime offenders. Possibly, a cybercrime record gives a positive signal of IT-skills that are useful for employees, while a criminal record for a property crime is associated with negative characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adolescents growing up outside their birth homes are at major risk for multiple adversities in early adulthood, including low education and unemployment. The transition from out‐of‐home placement to independent living overlaps with the transition from school to work and higher education. However, the support during this critical phase is often inadequate. Adolescents ageing out of care are also more likely to have faced adversities in their birth families. Yet, the interplay between different risk factors and having aged out of care has gained little attention. This study aimed to assess known risk factors for low education and unstable employment and their interaction with ageing out of care, controlling for birth‐home‐related adversities. We assessed this topic using logistic and linear regression modelling based on the Finnish birth cohort 1987 (n = 59 476) registry. Our analysis showed that obtaining upper secondary and higher education was much less likely among those ageing out of care, and they had spent 52–80 fewer days annually in employment after graduation. Few interactions with other risk factors were, however, found. Efforts are needed to prevent inequalities in education and employment for those ageing out of care in the transition phase from school to work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the large number of individuals with criminal records in the United States, research on their employment transitions and hiring challenges remains scarce. Further, given the over-representation of people of color in the US justice system, investigations incorporating the potential effects of race/ethnicity are crucial. In the present study, we examine the effects of different reparative impression management tactics for ex-offender applicants of various races/ethnicities in both a prehire and postoffer context and the mechanisms underlying those effects. Using an experimental design, we link specific reparative impression management tactics to employment outcomes through perceived remorse (Studies 1 and 2) and trustworthiness (Study 2), finding that Latino and Black candidates' engagement in reparative impression management tactics had greater impact on perceptions of remorse, trustworthiness, and hiring evaluations than did the use of such tactics by White candidates. Disclosure timing did not have large impacts on evaluations. Our findings contribute to research on reparative impression management in hiring contexts more broadly, as well as informing ex-offender job seekers which tactics are most useful when disclosing a criminal record, how demographics may impact these impression management techniques, and potential optimal disclosure timing relevant to current legislative contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Recht & Psychiatrie is the property of Psychiatrie Verlag GmbH and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

There is a shortage of Black men pursuing and or entering the pre-K-12 teaching profession. Some of the causes for the lack of Black men in the teaching profession stems from burnout, the school-to-prison pipeline, bad experiences as students, and a myriad of other reasons. We believe that Black men having a criminal record has not been fully explored or brought to the forefront as a major issue amongst the teaching profession and teacher preparation programs. To highlight this issue, we highlight and center the experience of one Black male who wanted to become an elementary reading teacher but was unable to due to his criminal record via a case study approach and a layered textual analysis. Specifically, we investigate what inspired a Black man’s interest in pursuing a teaching career and what factors altered or contributed to his deviation from pursuing the teaching profession. We then offer suggestions for research, practice, and policy with hopes that these suggestions provide teacher preparation programs and the teaching profession at-large with tangible tangles goals and task to address the Black male shortage in the pre-K-12 profession. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. The purpose of the article is to analyze the norms of the Criminal Procedure Code of the Republic of Moldova, which regulate the establishment and operation of rehabilitation institutions for persons who are suspected, accused or convicted of criminal offenses. Method. The research methodology is based on the principles of systematicity and objectivity. The content of the studied problem led to the use of a range of general scientific, philosophical and special legal methods. Results. The definition of rehabilitation is given. The ways of its application in accordance with the norms of the current legislation are established. the criminal procedure law does not contain exact provisions that would regulate a concrete procedure for the rehabilitation separate persons. It is established that by its legal nature rehabilitation is a form of state responsibility to the citizen. This interpretation is based on the idea of the content of legal-criminal relations between the state and the person, according to which the person (as the subject of this report) is not only obliged to comply with criminal prohibitions, but also has the right to ask the state to respect its repressive power. It is argued that the state not only has the right to punish a person for violating legal / criminal prohibitions, but is also obliged to respect the limits of its repressive power. Scientific novelty. It is established that given the need to ensure and protect the rights and freedoms of the individual is a top priority in the development of the rule of law, it is important to address issues related to rehabilitation of persons in contact with the law, namely: define rehabilitation bodies of the Register of Judicial and Criminal Information of the Republic of Moldova (there are cases when the information in the register is not true and citizens are forced to personally collect information in courts, prosecutors, etc.), on the grounds that rehabilitation / disappearance of criminal history cancels all incapacities and decadence of rights related to criminal history, and is a state duty to citizens. Practical significance. The results of the study can be used in further research and improvement of criminal procedure legislation.

Judicial records, which are created to identify the judicial status of any natural or legal person, are used in all stages of the proceedings from the beginning of the prosecution to the execution of the sentence and even after the execution of the sentence and play a key role in police and judicial decisions. This article aims to make a comparative study of the institution of judicial record in Islamic law and the country of Iran and France and to examine its position, using library documents and resources and in a descriptive and analytical manner, has reached the conclusion that; Forming a judicial record for persons under 18 years of age in Iran and not forming it in France, the need to obtain judicial record information in Islamic law and its difficult steps in Iran and its ease in France, obtaining a fee to obtain a judicial record in Iran and free of charge Its presence in France, the impossibility of deleting the history of judicial record in Iran and the possibility of deleting it in France and the need for re-socialization in Islamic law, dividing the judicial record into three parts: criminal, legal and administrative and separating the record of financial convictions in Iran and the absence The divisions in France and the positive attitude towards the institution of the judiciary in Islamic and French law are among the differences between this institution.

Several studies have found an association between social identity‐based discrimination and reduced physical health. Research also indicates that social support may sometimes protectively moderate this relationship. This study addresses the lack of sufficient research regarding these connections among individuals facing criminal record discrimination. The authors analyzed the responses of 168 people with felony records who completed a nationwide, online survey. While controlling for several other potentially impactful variables, the authors used regression analyses to explore the relationship between criminal record discrimination and reported healthy days per month and whether social support protectively moderated this relationship. There was a significant negative association between criminal record discrimination and healthy days among those with notably low social support. Meanwhile, moderate levels of social support appeared to protectively extinguish this relationship. This study suggests that social support may influence whether criminal record discrimination negatively impacts health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The significance of employment to desistance and social integration is well established, yet 62% of those subject to a Community Payback Order in Scotland are unemployed (Scottish Government, 2022). This paper reports on the findings from a small-scale survey conducted with 29 people subject to community supervision in Scotland, to shed light on the various enablers and barriers they encounter in seeking, starting and sustaining employment, and their experiences of engaging in or with employment support initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To explore Louisiana Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors' (VRCs) perceptions and experiences in utilizing career theories suggested by Easter and Gaertner (2009) when providing vocational guidance and career counseling to clients with a criminal record. Results from this research will provide insight to current and prospective VRCs in their practice and heighten educators' and supervisors' awareness of VRCs' experience using career theories. Methods: Six Louisiana VRCs with at least two years of experience working with clients who had a criminal background were interviewed twice using heuristic inquiry. This qualitative method relies on researchers' ability to discover and interpret their own experiences while exploring others' experiences. The data were analyzed by performing both opened-coding and axial-coding. Results: Four major themes were revealed from this qualitative study: (1) expectations, (2) autonomy, (3) counselor development, and (4) fidelity to career theories. Upon further analysis, the emergent theory suggested incongruence of theory and practice amongst participating VRCs. Findings suggest VRCs working with clients with criminal backgrounds do not feel their academic training has prepared them to use career theories with this population effectively. Conclusion: When the participants apply the career theories suggested by Easter and Gaertner to clients with a criminal record, they perceive them to be ineffective. Therefore, this study serves as a baseline for additional research and suggests additional training may be necessary for VRCs who work with clients with a criminal background. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been a recent push toward placing restrictions on when and how employers can ask about job applicants' criminal records. In our research, we asked hypothetical employers to evaluate job applicants so we could examine whether certain 'ban the box' practices increase the chances that formerly incarcerated individuals find jobs. Our results showed that an applicant with a drug conviction was more likely to be hired if his record was revealed after an interview rather than on the job application and if he explained the unusualness of his offense rather than if he provided no explanation (Studies 1 and 3). Further, we found that an interviewed applicant who explained his record was similarly likely to be hired regardless of whether he volunteered information about his record or it was discovered through a background check (Study 2). Finally, when equally qualified applicants were being considered at the initial application stage, the applicant without a criminal record was preferred even if the applicant with a record explained it (Study 4). These results indicate the importance of restricting access to criminal record information until after an applicant has been interviewed and in allowing the applicant to explain the unusualness of the offense. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper analyzes the content of scientific discourse on the relationship between criminal liability and criminal law measures and proves that the corresponding concepts are not subordinate and interchangeable. Criminal law measures are defined as legal means and normative structures established by law, which the state uses to respond to a crime. Criminal liability is defined as a real phenomenon, a special combination of criminal law measures implemented on the basis of a court sentence. The common feature of criminal liability and criminal law measures is that they can only be applied in case of commission of a crime. In this regard, measures imposed on persons who have committed a socially dangerous act before reaching the age of criminal liability or in a state of insanity should be excluded from the list of measures of a criminal legal nature. The difference between liability and criminal law measures is that liability requires official recognition of a person guilty of committing a crime, while criminal law measures can also be applied in the absence of a decision on guilt, when a person is exempt from criminal liability. Based on this, all criminal law measures are divided into two groups: a) measures applied outside the scope of liability, and b) measures that are part of liability. We give the nomenclature of each of them and identify promising opportunities for their expansion. In particular, the list of criminal law measures may be supplemented with community service, limited paid work, and administrative supervision.

For a better security of citizens in the European Union's Area of Freedom, Security and Justice, concrete measures were taken to allow an efficient exchange of information on criminal convictions between the Member States. The numerous studies have proven that often the national courts deliver judgments based only on the previous convictions listed in their national file without any knowledge of the criminal convictions in other Member States. Consequently, the offenders have often been able to escape the criminal record by simply moving from one EU State to another. It was established an information system called ECRIS (European Criminal Records Information System). It had to be applied in all Member States by April 2012. ECRIS was created in response to the obvious need to improve the exchange of information on the criminal records at European level 1 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social work has long-standing, well-recognized problems of recruitment and retention in England and many other jurisdictions. Policymakers and employers are exploring if there are untapped sources of potential employees. We conducted a scoping review in 2018 to explore current practices and the potential to employ people with criminal records in the social work profession in England. Eighteen studies were located and two themes were identified within these: 1) the potential for people with criminal records to gain qualifications in social work and 2) the potential for people with criminal records to gain employment within social work. More research is needed to establish evidence about current responses to applications from people with criminal records seeking to access training and employment. More evidence is also needed about current practices in decision-making by all parties, together with exploration of people with criminal records' experiences of gaining qualifications in social work and then seeking employment, changing employers and pursuing career progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Across multiple stigmatized groups, research suggests that stigma may negatively impact individual wellbeing. This impact often occurs through a sequential pathway that includes perceiving societal stigma, a diminished and stereotyped self‐concept (i.e., internalized stigma), experiences of discrimination and rejection, and attempts to cope with stigma (e.g., secrecy or withdrawal). While prior research supports individual links within this pathway, no study has evaluated a model representing the relationships between all of these factors in relation to criminal record stigma. This study utilized cross‐sectional data from an online survey of 198 adults to test the pathways through which criminal record‐related stigma impacts individual quality of life. The results indicated that perceived stigma was a significant predictor of discrimination and rejection experiences, secrecy coping strategies, and decreased quality of life. There was also a significant indirect association between perceived stigma and quality of life through secrecy coping. Consistent with recent criminal record stigma research, internalized stigma was low among respondents. These findings point to the importance of reducing criminal record stigma and discrimination, so that individuals with criminal records have more opportunities to enhance their quality of life without having to withdraw from society or keep their record a secret. Highlights: Applies broad stigma theory to criminal record stigma.Test of integrative mediation model.Perceived criminal record stigma predicts discrimination and rejection, coping, and life quality.Finds an indirect pathway between perceived stigma and quality of life, through coping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To date, researchers have been very attentive to how the stigma of criminality informs employers’ hiring decisions, and, in the process, diminishes the employment opportunities afforded to jobseekers so stigmatized. Few researchers, however, have investigated the extent to which criminal records also shape jobseekers’ search strategies in ways that either attenuate or amplify the effects of their negative credentials. We fill this gap in the literature by investigating how arrest, conviction, and incarceration affect the scope of jobseekers’ search efforts as well as the specific methods they deploy. We then examine the extent to which gaps in job search success can be attributed to stigmatized jobseekers’ search strategies. Analysis of the NLSY97 reveals that arrestees and former prisoners (but not ex-convicts) are disadvantaged both by the scope of their search efforts and by the specific methods they use. Arrestees are less likely than non-offenders to find work during the search process because they use fewer search methods, and because they over-invest in ineffective methods while under-investing in more effective methods. Although former prisoners are also disadvantaged by over- and under-investing, we primarily attribute their lower odds of search success to the differential impacts of their search strategies. Even when the scope and nature of their searches mirror those of non-offenders, their searches are less likely to end successfully. By bringing “search” into debates on punishment and inequality, we provide a new and complementary way to understand how a criminal record negatively affects jobseekers’ chances of finding work.

Between 70 million and 100 million Americans--or as many as one in three--have some type of criminal record (Vallas & Dietrich, 2014). Having even a minor criminal record often functions as a significant impediment to gainful employment and resultant economic security. This is especially problematic given that: (a) many companies now incorporate background checks within their hiring process and (b) little empirical research exists about the relationship between criminal records and job performance. Thus, this study examined the relationship between criminal records and objective performance of customer service representatives (N = 627) in a large telecommunications firm. Our regression analyses indicate that criminal record was not a predictor of job performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An offender's criminal record is nearly always discussed during sentencing. The incorporation of the criminal history of offenders by judges into sentencing decisions surprisingly remains an empirically understudied topic, especially from the comparative perspective. This study used two datasets derived from the sentencing decisions of judges from England/Wales and Hong Kong, respectively. The study demonstrates that the recidivist sentencing premium model is the better explanation for England/Wales as the number of previous criminal convictions is associated with the likelihood of a more severe sentence. Whereas the progressive loss of mitigation model (PLM) is the better explanation with respect to the decision to impose a custodial sentence and the flat-rate sentencing model is the better explanation for sentence length in Hong Kong. This study demonstrates the complexity of sentencing decisions with respect to criminal history and its differences across legal jurisdictions. • An offender's criminal record is nearly always discussed during sentencing. • Sentencing theories are tested using data from England/Wales and Hong Kong. • In England, the number of criminal convictions leads to more severe sentences. • In Hong Kong, criminal history does not play a significant role in sentence length. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]