From Brookings:
More than 2.2 million people are incarcerated in the United States and more than 620,000 are released from prison annually. Approximately one-third of those released will return to prison at some point in their lives. Moreover, research shows that individuals with criminal records are less likely to be employed, worsening economic disparities and increasing recidivism.
In “Work and opportunity before and after incarceration”, Brookings Senior Fellow Adam Looney and Nicholas Turner use IRS data to examine the labor market outcomes and economic characteristics of the incarcerated population.
They find that three years prior to incarceration, only 49 percent of prime-age men are employed, and, when employed, their median earnings were only $6,250. These men don’t fare any better after leaving prison. In the first full calendar year after their release, only 55 percent of those previously incarcerated have any reported earnings and the median earnings of those that do are just above $10,000.
However, the conditions that lead these individuals to incarceration may begin long before this window. Continue reading here.
Read Work and Opportunity Before and After Incarceration here
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