The impact of incarceration on the employment outcomes of former inmates: Policy options for fostering self-sufficiency and an assessment of the cost-effectiveness of current corrections policy. Presented at

This chapter documents recent incarceration trends, discusses the evidence pertaining to the employment effects of serving time, and discusses several policy options designed to limit the adverse collateral consequences of corrections policy on poor minority communities. Regarding policy proposals, I advocate for (1) the elimination of federal bans on the participation of certain convicted felons from participation in various public assistance programs, (2) for a rationalization of federal, state, and local government employment bans that allows for greater consideration of the particulars of individual cases, (3) for legislative guidance on how employers may and may not consider the criminal history record of an applicant, and (4) for state programs that incentivize the expunging of criminal history records for former inmates that exhibit sustained desistance from criminal activity and that meet other benchmarks of responsible post-release behavior. I also assess the likely effects on crime of reducing the U.S. incarceration rate below current levels. I conclude that incarceration has increased along the extensive margin to such an extent that there are certainly many men who are currently sentenced to serve time that pose a minimal threat to society. 1