Anke Ramakers

Imprisonment length and post-prison employment prospects

This study considers the relationship between imprisonment length and employment outcomes. The data are a unique prospective, longitudinal study of Dutch pretrial detainees (N = 702). All subjects thus experience prison confinement of varying lengths, although the durations are relatively short (mean = 3.8 months; median = 3.1 months). This contrasts with prior research that was limited to the study of American prison sentences spanning an average of 2 years. These data thus fill a gap in the empirical base concerning short-term confinement, which is the norm in the United States (e.g., jail incarceration) and other Western countries. Using a comprehensive array of pre-prison covariates, a propensity score methodology is used to examine the dose-response relationship between imprisonment length and a variety of employment outcomes. The results indicate that, among prison lengths less than 6 months in duration, longer confinement is largely uncorrelated with employment. In contrast, among spells in excess of 6 months, longer imprisonment length seems to worsen employment prospects.

The effect of labour market absence on finding employment: A comparison between ex-prisoners and unemployed future prisoners

A period of labour market absence reduces one’s chances of getting a job. The labour market position of both imprisoned and unemployed individuals tends to worsen after their time out of the labour market. This study considers whether imprisonment has ‘scarring’ effects on job acquisition over and above unemployment. Using a unique quasi-experimental design with a high-risk sample, we conduct event history analyses in order to estimate the time to employment for a group of ex-prisoners (n = 1159) and a group of unemployed future prisoners (n = 271). The results show that ex-prisoners find employment more quickly and more often than unemployed future prisoners. This suggests that job assistance and deterrence may have positive effects on the job chances of released prisoners.

Not Just Any Job Will Do A Study on Employment Characteristics and Recidivism Risks After Release

Ex-prisoners’ recidivism risks are high. Several theories state that employment can reduce these risks but emphasize that the protective role of employment is conditional on job qualities (work intensity, job duration, etc.). Longitudinal research on the role of employment in ex-prisoners’ recidivism patterns is scarce, and most existing work used a simplistic employment measure (i.e., employed vs. unemployed), leaving the topic of job quality underexplored. This study examines the association between employment characteristics and recidivism among Dutch ex-prisoners. Using longitudinal data of the Prison Project (n = 714), we found that not just any job, but particularly stable employment and jobs with a higher occupational level could help reduce crime rates among these high-risk offenders. Many ex-prisoners face a human capital deficit that complicates the guidance to high-quality jobs. It might, however, be possible to help place ex-prisoners in stable employment.

Short-Term Effects of Imprisonment Length on Recidivism in the Netherlands

This article assesses the relationship between imprisonment length and recidivism. The data come from a unique longitudinal and nationwide study of Dutch prisoners, serving an average of 4.1 months of confinement (N = 1,467). A propensity score methodology is used to examine the dose–response relationship for three types of registered recidivism (i.e., reoffending, reconviction, and reincarceration) within a 6-month follow-up period. Findings indicate that length of imprisonment exerts an overall null effect on future rates of recidivism and that this conclusion holds across the various types of recidivism. These findings contribute to continuing scholarly debates over the social and economic costs of imprisonment.

Zwart werk na vrijlating

Off-the-books employment following release from prison Prior re-entry studies used administrative data to conclude that post-release employment rates are low. These studies may however underestimate ex-prisoners’ labour market participation as especially ex-prisoners are expected to work off-the-books. A prison record might for instance create a legal ban on certain occupations, pushing them towards the informal labour market. This study combines administrative with interview data to examine the prevalence and relative importance of informal employment among former prisoners in the Netherlands (N = 738). Multiple measurement strategies show that a substantial part of these men work off-the-books. About forty percent of these workers rely on it as their primary source of income, but many combine it with a formal job or social benefits. These findings raise concern and show that many post-prison jobs currently do not come to the attention of scholars or governmental organizations.