More than 70 million Americans have a criminal record of some kind. For those individuals, seeking employment entails persistent rejection in the hiring process, licensing restrictions that bar participation to whole fields of work, and stunted wage growth. The pandemic’s shifting role in this subset of the labor market, first by shutting down industries traditionally amenable to hiring individuals with criminal records (hospitality, food services, construction) and now creating a tight labor market where the number of jobs exceed the number of individuals seeking work, requires that policy makers assess the challenges and barriers that complicate the return to gainful employment.
A 2020 Brennan Center report quantified the aggregate effect of these challenges and determined that they ultimately amount to more than $372 billion dollars in lost wages per year. In this event, Ames Grawert, one of the co-authors of that report, will detail the Brennan Center’s analysis and policy recommendations. Professor Sandra Mayson will supplement the conversation with her knowledge of the collateral consequences of incarceration. Lastly, Jeff Abramowitz, a former Philadelphia personal injury attorney and current Vice Chair of the Philadelphia Reentry Coalition, will share his experience seeking employment in his years following incarceration and provide context on Philadelphia’s policy efforts in this space.
Civil Rights Law Project (CRLP)
Jeff Abramowitz, Vice Chair, Philadelphia Reentry Coalition and former Philadelphia personal injury attorney
Ames Grawert, Co-Author of “Conviction, Imprisonment, and Lost Earnings: How Involvement with the Criminal Justice System Deepens Inequality,” Senior Counsel and John L. Neu Justice Counsel, Brennan Center’s Justice Program
Sandra Mayson, Professor of Law and History, Penn Carey Law
