In the United States, about two-thirds of people released from prison remain unemployed, a stark reflection of the stigma surrounding a criminal record, according to the Prison Policy Initiative. A new UC Berkeley sociology study suggests that how job applicants explain their past crimes may influence whether employers give them a chance.
In UC Berkeley Sociology Chair and Professor David Harding’s recent paper, “Narratives and destigmatization: the case of criminal record stigma in the labor market”, he found that employers responded most positively to stories in which applicants explained crimes as motivated by financial need, took responsibility and showed efforts to change.
“Given the stigma that people with criminal records faced in the labor market, I wondered how much these stories might matter to employers.” Professor Harding said. “It was also a chance to test a central hypothesis about narratives that sociologists hadn't looked at before extensively, that the kind of story we tell has different impacts on the audience.”
To test the theory, Professor Harding and his research team showed fake job applications to more than 1,300 employers. The applications were randomized across employers and included cover letters offering different explanations for an applicant’s criminal history — from financial struggles and peer pressure to drug addiction, unfair punishment or no explanation at all. The employers were asked which candidates they would be most likely to hire. The study team also conducted in-depth interviews with 30 employers.
The study found that applicants with stories about being treated unfairly by the criminal justice system were the least likely to be hired. Employers saw these stories as excuses that blamed the criminal justice system rather than taking responsibility.
Stories that showed reflection and change — such as those involving bad influences or drug addiction — helped employers empathize with applicants and recognize their growth, according to the study. Applicants who said they committed crimes out of financial need were most likely to be hired as employers saw them as honest and responsible, Harding said. Employers could also relate to the applicant’s value of hard work and facing financial struggles.
“When the employer saw the "economic motivation" narrative rather than the "wronged by the system" narrative, they were more likely to want to choose the candidate with the record, indicating greater potential for destigmatization,” Professor Harding said.
The study found that job applicants who told stories showing they took responsibility, learned from past mistakes, highlighted positive details and shared values with the employer faced less stigma and were more likely to be hired.
Harding hopes his findings can guide organizations that help former prisoners prepare for job interviews and complete job applications. Employers should also recognize that stories can shape their hiring decisions, he added, and that some applicants may be better at telling their stories than others.
The paper is co-authored with Maria Smith, a Berkeley Sociology doctoral student; Da Eun Jung, a doctoral student at Indiana University; Stephanie Luna-Lopez; a doctoral student at UC Davis; and Amanda Glazer, a statistics faculty member at UT Austin. Jung, Luna-Lopez, and Glazer are all former Berkeley Social Sciences students.