Hiring the Formerly Incarcerated: Challenges illustrated by Justification-Suppression Theory

Finding meaningful employment for formerly incarcerated individuals is a determinant of whether they refrain from criminal activities. With a growing inmate population it is vital that researchers and practitioners of prisoner reentry understand how discrimination affects the hiring process. The present study tests a theory of prejudicial expression, which suggests that expressed prejudice is comprised of two competing components: genuine prejudice and pressures to suppress prejudice. The current study finds support for the theory, and provides evidence that prejudicial attitudes may negatively influence hiring decisions of formerly incarcerated applicants, even though prejudices were not revealed in expressed attitudes.