2007 Small Grants Program: Incarceration, Criminal Justice Policy and Poverty
Funded research
Gary Sweeten, Arizona State University, and Robert Apel, University at Albany.
The Effects of Incarceration on Employment in Young Adulthood.
Description
A significant body of research suggests that employment is central to successful prisoner re-entry in the community. Research also indicates that incarceration may unintentionally cause harm for employment prospects, but many questions remain unanswered. The central question this research addresses is whether incarceration has a causal effect on employment. Additionally, are effects long-lasting or transitory? Given the recent increase in the numbers of youth involved in the justice system, the answers to these questions have important policy implications. Efforts to reduce the negative employment consequences of incarceration may reduce the likelihood of recidivism and encourage successful transitions to adulthood.
We address these questions using the first eight waves of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997. This is a nationally representative survey begun in 1997 with a sample of 8,984 youth aged 12 to 16 at year-end 1996. These youth have been interviewed each year since the initial survey. This survey provides information on employment and earnings, educational attainment, self-reported crime, justice system involvement, relationships, attitudes, health, and numerous other life domains. Through the first six waves, 5 percent (N = 453) of the sample had experienced some incarceration.
We will assess the effect of incarceration on employment using two statistical methods. First, we will conduct a within-individual before-and-after analysis (fixed effects). Second, using the rich data set and propensity score matching, we will compare multi-year employment outcomes of incarcerated and non-incarcerated individuals who appear most similar on all relevant variables.
