Do Work Barriers for Justice-Impacted Individuals Incentivize Criminal Behavior?

Abstract

This study explores the legal barriers created by state governments for justice-impacted individuals. The more work barriers the state creates for someone with a criminal record, the more attractive illegal activities become. We examine differences across states in the data set provided by the National Inventory of Collateral Consequences of Conviction. We compare incarceration rates, unemployment rates, and labor force participation rates to the number of rules that affect someone with a criminal background. Our results predict that states with more collateral consequences will have higher per-capita imprisonment, higher unemployment, and lower labor force participation rates.