The Power of Pardons: Broadening Employment Opportunities for Justice-Involved Individuals

Criminal convictions are a major contributor to persistent inequality in the labor market. Studies of individuals who were formerly incarcerated show that one year after their release, more than half are unemployed. Surveys of employers indicate that the stigma of a criminal conviction keeps 50% or more of employers from giving returning citizens even a callback, much less hiring them. In addition, criminal records also serve as a barrier to obtaining the licensure required for numerous trades and occupations. These systemic barriers can lead to lifelong earnings reduction, essentially dooming many justice-involved individuals to a “life sentence” of collateral consequences to criminal behavior. Initial evidence suggests that pardons and expungement of criminal records can reverse this trend by allowing justice-involved persons to participate meaningfully in the larger economy.