Occupational Justice for Ex-Offenders Post-Release
Event Type
Presentation
Start Date
12-1-2022 9:00 AM
End Date
12-1-2022 12:00 PM
Description
Purpose: The importance of studying the lived experiences of exoffenders around the United States has been firmly established in the literature. The purpose of this qualitative research was to look at occupational justice during ex-offender societal reentry and the impact of supports and barriers for access to and engagement in education, employment, and social participation.
Methods: The inclusion criteria for the sample included adults 18 years of age and older with a felony conviction or convictions. Challenges with potential participant recruitment necessitated no establishment of exclusion criteria. The recruitment process was conducted through phone calls, flyers, and snowball sampling. Surveys and consent forms were printed to ensure equal access to the study. Of the 13 survey respondents, 6 participants consented to be interviewed. Interviews were completed either by telephone or video conference and recorded for transcription. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS to examine the participant demographics utilizing the REDCap survey data; and NVivo was used to code interview transcripts. Preliminary coding followed by first and second cycle coding were conducted based on Descriptive, Emotion, and NVivo coding of the transcripts to collect textual descriptions using the research questions and participants' responses. Codes were then collapsed into categories and further condensed to reveal three main themes and the study essence emanated from there.
Results: Qualitative data was collected from individual interviews to arrive at the following three themes: a) personal response to experiences influences impact of survival; b) inconsistency with access to resources is dependent on location; and c) ex-offender status outweighs racial status in societal transition. Research question findings indicated inconsistencies with the provision of resources in prison and for transitioning. Programs to enhance education varied by location of incarceration and willingness to self-advocate. While some developed and maintained relationships and hobbies in and outside of prison, other participants’ ability to engage diminished upon release.
Conclusion: Based on the research findings, the present literature on the judicial system, and the experiences of the participants, a unifying framework is necessary to assist ex-offenders in the reintegration process. Implications of the research findings suggest the need to implement meaningful leisure, work, and educational programs to aid in the transition back to society.
Recommended Citation
Decker, T., Shontere, S., Henlon, M., Mathew, S., Nguyen, T., Bolen-Daniels, N., Montalto, D., & Clarke, B. (2022), Occupational Justice for Ex-Offenders Post-Release, Presentation, Ninth Annual Research Colloquium, https://nsuworks.nova.edu/ot_colloquium/ninth/events/4
Occupational Justice for Ex-Offenders Post-Release
Purpose: The importance of studying the lived experiences of exoffenders around the United States has been firmly established in the literature. The purpose of this qualitative research was to look at occupational justice during ex-offender societal reentry and the impact of supports and barriers for access to and engagement in education, employment, and social participation.
Methods: The inclusion criteria for the sample included adults 18 years of age and older with a felony conviction or convictions. Challenges with potential participant recruitment necessitated no establishment of exclusion criteria. The recruitment process was conducted through phone calls, flyers, and snowball sampling. Surveys and consent forms were printed to ensure equal access to the study. Of the 13 survey respondents, 6 participants consented to be interviewed. Interviews were completed either by telephone or video conference and recorded for transcription. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS to examine the participant demographics utilizing the REDCap survey data; and NVivo was used to code interview transcripts. Preliminary coding followed by first and second cycle coding were conducted based on Descriptive, Emotion, and NVivo coding of the transcripts to collect textual descriptions using the research questions and participants' responses. Codes were then collapsed into categories and further condensed to reveal three main themes and the study essence emanated from there.
Results: Qualitative data was collected from individual interviews to arrive at the following three themes: a) personal response to experiences influences impact of survival; b) inconsistency with access to resources is dependent on location; and c) ex-offender status outweighs racial status in societal transition. Research question findings indicated inconsistencies with the provision of resources in prison and for transitioning. Programs to enhance education varied by location of incarceration and willingness to self-advocate. While some developed and maintained relationships and hobbies in and outside of prison, other participants’ ability to engage diminished upon release.
Conclusion: Based on the research findings, the present literature on the judicial system, and the experiences of the participants, a unifying framework is necessary to assist ex-offenders in the reintegration process. Implications of the research findings suggest the need to implement meaningful leisure, work, and educational programs to aid in the transition back to society.