About the Paper

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More than 70 million Americans have some form of criminal record, which can limit their access to employment opportunities, eligibility for occupational licensure, and public benefits. The use of criminal background checks in the hiring process has also dramatically increased over the past decade, and there is reason to think that many criminal records are inaccurate. Prior research has not determined the extent of errors on criminal records. Researchers also do not know educating individuals about their records may promote efforts toward record correction and improve employment and other economic outcomes. As described in the paper the present study harnesses a unique opportunity to investigate the accuracy of criminal records and the impact of a record education intervention on job-seeking behaviors, employment opportunities, and economic outcomes for people with criminal records.

Research Questions

• What is the prevalence of errors in criminal records of members of this class, and how are these errors distributed across racial/ethnic and sociodemographic groups?
• How does understanding one’s criminal record and relevant legal rights affect job seeking behaviors, employment opportunities, economic attainment, and social engagement?

Key Takeaways

• More than a quarter of participants (28.0 percent) had at least one entry on their record that should not have appeared there because the charge was dropped, dismissed, or absorbed within a plea bargain on another charge.
• Using survey data, researchers found participation in the Cornell Project for Record Assistance (CPRA) training increased employment or promotion-seeking, for some participants.

Research Gaps

• Further research will allow us to gain more understanding of how participants experience the training, perceive their criminal record, and react to seeing their past interactions with the criminal justice system on paper. (page 39)

Citation

Wells, M., York Cornwell, E., Barrington, L., Bigler, E., Enayati, H., Vilhuber, L. (2020). Criminal Record Inaccuracies and the Impact of a Record Education Intervention on Employment-Related Outcomes. Chief Evaluation Office, U.S. Department of Labor.

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This study was part of CEO’s Labor Research and Evaluation Grants, and was produced outside of CEO’s standard research development process.