Public attitudes towards the employment of ex-offenders with a disability
Journal of Intellectual Disabilities and Offending Behaviour
ISSN: 2050-8824
Article publication date: 13 March 2017
Abstract
Purpose
Ex-prisoners often face significant challenges in their efforts to find meaningful and stable work, undermining their chances of successful reintegration back into the community. These problems are likely to be compounded for those who have an intellectual disability (ID), given evidence that the disabled generally experience high levels of discrimination when applying for and maintaining jobs. The purpose of this paper is to determine whether members of the public hold different attitudes and expectations towards the employment of ex-offenders who have an ID and a history of criminal offending.
Design/methodology/approach
Samples of 642 participants, recruited via social media, were presented with vignettes, and then completed a short survey designed to measure their attitudes and expectations towards the employment of ex-offenders.
Findings
Whilst the presence of a mild ID did not significantly affect community attitudes towards ex-offender employment, it did change expectations about employment outcomes.
Research limitations/implications
It appears that ex-offenders are perceived as a homogenous group of people, despite actual and substantial differences existing within this population.
Practical implications
There is a need to actively educate the community about differences between subgroups of ex-offenders in relation to the employment needs of those with an ID.
Social implications
The social inclusion of ex-offenders with an ID lies at the heart of any effective and progressive criminal justice policy.
Originality/value
This is one of the only studies that has examined public attitudes towards this group.
Keywords
Citation
Darakai, A., Day, A. and Graffam, J. (2017), "Public attitudes towards the employment of ex-offenders with a disability", Journal of Intellectual Disabilities and Offending Behaviour, Vol. 8 No. 1, pp. 3-12. https://doi.org/10.1108/JIDOB-11-2016-0021
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2017, Emerald Publishing Limited