Assignment 1 of soss2001 PDF

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"What is the impact of youth incarceration on future employment opportunities?" SOSS2001

1

Introduction

Incarceration often leads to a number of disturbances to an individual’s life. For youth in particular, incarceration interrupts the regular transitions and trajectories of life (Eggleston, Laub & Sampson 2004). Subsequently, this may lead to deficits in the development of practical skills and social maturity. These issues may possibly continue to impact youth beyond their time in in custody. Employment after release from a juvenile detention centre is influenced by a number of factors. Some of these include the juvenile’s developmental progression, or lack there of. Others involve a social stigma on behalf of the future employer (Emmert 2019). Several studies across a range of countries have been conducted to research the effects of adult incarceration on employment. A range of outcomes were reported, however, the negative impacts were substantial. Although this research is significant, it does not address several concerns that apply only to juveniles. A large majority of youths being incarcerated are adolescents who that are likely experiencing biological and other developmental changes. This project aims to examine direct impact of youth incarceration on future employment. Crucial factors, such as the severity of crime and lack of skills, are considered to gain a clearer understanding of employment after incarceration. This will be achieved through the use of semi-structured interviews between university students of the SSOS2001 course.

Literature Review

Incarceration affects the trajectory of one’s life in a number of ways. The acquisition of future employment is an issue that all offenders must address post-release. At present, much of the research conducted applies only to adults. Youth incarceration has its own unique effect on an individual’s future employment. The literature focusing specifically on the employment of juvenile delinquents is limited. There are few longitudinal studies, particularly in Australia, that provide clear evidence of incarceration and its possible effects.

Dawes (2011) conducted one of the few longitudinal studies in Australia regarding juvenile detention and future employment. He addresses several issues that young people face when attempting to reintegrate into society. His findings propose that

youth incarceration does have a negative impact on the future employment of the juvenile. Also that the type of environment and transition process after release significantly affects one’s chance of employment. These findings are useful, however, the participants are primarily of Aboriginal or Indigenous descent. Results may differ for those who do not belong to that particular culture.

Emmert (2019) also finds that incarcerating adolescents and young adults leads to negative repercussions regarding employment. This study indicates that the age at first incarceration corresponds to the length of non-employment after release. Younger age of incarceration contributed to a longer period of unemployment. These findings are consistent with Kerley and Copes’ (2004) conclusion that incarceration is highly disruptive to the transitional course of one’s life. The information examined in this study was confined to a small geographical region. It would be interesting to examine whether these results would apply to a wider and more diverse population.

A major limitation of the current literature is heavily gendered research. A large portion of research papers engaged only with young males. Some did not state the gender of their participants. Jayaram (2012) has conducted research targeted at the impact of incarceration on the future employment of young women. Her findings suggest that the impact experienced by young men and women is close to identical. In contrast to previous research, this study focuses on the social barriers to employment after incarceration. At the time of incarceration, young people are unlikely to have the training or experience required for employment. Post-incarceration, the social stigma of a criminal conviction only contributes to the struggle of gaining employment.

Apel and Sweeten (2010) have contributed significantly to this area of research. Their sample consisted of individuals between their mid-teens and mid-twenties. An evaluation of employment rates after incarceration indicates that youths are impacted. After further inspection of the results, it was discovered that lack of employment was a result of labor force nonparticipation rather than unemployment. Similarly to other literature, the environment and support network post-release are considered to be crucial factors needed for reintegration and future employment.

Method

In order to conduct this research, a semi-structured interview process will be used. The participants will consist of undergraduate University of New South Wales students enrolled in the subject SOSS2001. This cohort of participants has been specifically selected for their experiences and perspectives as current students. The use of semi-structured interviews allows for a flexible yet guided means of data collection (Wethington and McDarby 2015: 3). Interviews have the ability to facilitate both descriptive and detailed responses from the participants (Baumbusch, 2010: 255). As rapport develops throughout the interview, the researcher is able to gain a deeper understanding of the participant and their responses. The software program NVivo will then be used for the analysis of data.

This research will be conducted in a manner that acknowledges and adheres to ethical standards. Voluntary consent will be required prior to the commencement of the interview. Any information collected will remain confidential. The participant will be answering questions based on their personal knowledge and/or experiences. The researcher should maintain a level of respect and remain unbiased, regardless of the participant’s response (Josselson, 2007: 545). The participant will not encounter any danger or injury throughout the interview. Being voluntary, the participant is free to leave at any point (Childress, 2005).

This study is limited by its small and focused sample size. However, it provides a gateway to more diverse studies in the future.

Conclusion

The impact of youth incarceration on future employment is evidently an issue, both in Australia and around the globe. This is a significant issue for juvenile offenders and the community they reside in. Developing an understanding of university students’ perspectives on this matter will encourage deeper knowledge and awareness. Semistructured interviews will allow for the efficient collection of data. Using this information, further discussion and research may contribute to improvements for those impacted by this issue.

References

Apel, R., G. Sweeten (2010) ‘The impact of incarceration on employment during the transition to adulthood’, Social Problems 57(3): 448-479

Baumbusch, J. (2010) ‘Semi-structured interviewing in practice-close research’, Journal for Specialists in Pediatric Nursing 12(3): 255.

Childress, J.F. (2005) Belmont revisited: Ethical principles for research with human subjects, Washington: Georgetown University Press

Dawes, G.D. (2011) ‘The challenges of reintegrating Indigenous youth after their release from detention’, Journal of Youth Studies 14(6): 693-707

Eggleston, E. P, J.H. Laub and R.J Sampson (2004) ‘Methodological sensitivities to latent class analysis of long-term criminal trajectories’, Journal of Quantitative Criminology 20(1): 1-26.

Emmert, A. (2019) ‘Doing time and the unemployment line: The impact of incarceration on ex-inmates’ employment outcomes’, Crime & Delinquency 65(5): 705-728.

Jayaram, A. (2012) ‘The impact of juvenile incarceration on employment prospects for young women, Washington: Georgetown University Press.

Josselson, R. (2007) ‘The ethical attitudes in narrative research: Principles and practicalities’, Handbook of Narrative Inquiry 21: 545

Kerley, K.R., H. Copes (2004) ‘The effects of criminal justice contact on employment stability for white-collar and street-level offenders’, International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology 48(1): 65-84.

Wethington, E., L., M.L. McDarby (2015) ‘Interview methods (structured, semistructured, unstructured)’, The Encyclopaedia of Adulthood and Ageing 9:1-5...