The Employment System
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Dale’s Employment System Story
Dale started dealing drugs at the age of 15 and continued to do so after he graduated from high school so that he could pay the medical bills associated with the births of his three children. From age 16-24, Dale supported himself and his family with odd jobs, financial schemes, and drug dealing. Prior to his release, Dale vowed to take a new path when he went home. Dale knew that he would have a difficult time finding a good job because of his criminal record and lack of job experience so when he was in prison, he took advantage of vocational training and educational classes. Unfortunately, the only job Dale could get when he was released was stocking freezers at a local deli. The stigma surrounding his criminal record is holding him back from utilizing his full potential. In hopes of getting a living-wage job and being able to use the skills he gained while in prison, Dale continued to attend local job fairs.
Eventually, Dale got a new job at a recycling company that works in cooperation with the county government. Dale’s strong work ethic allowed him to stand out and become a valued employee. He didn’t want to fall into the revolving door of prison. Recently, the recycling company told Dale that he needs to move to a late-night shift. He is struggling with this change because it will conflict with his parenting responsibilities. Providing financially for his family is important but reconnecting with them is also a priority. If Dale takes the new shift, he will not see his children. If he doesn’t, he will lose his job and face a hostile job market once again (Fastenberg, 2013).
Employment System Variables
Variables are the key forces in a system story that impact each other and vary over time. They are the building blocks that help identify what needs to be changed in a system and what variables can be used as leverage points to fix a problem. We selected these variables because our research suggests that they play a key role in increasing employment and decreasing recidivism among returning citizens.
We included the Amount of Correctional Education as a variable because our research has indicated that this education is extremely effective at increasing employment among returning citizens and therefore decreases recidivism while being cost effective (Ibid). In essence, it is an exceptionally valuable and extremely cost effective tool for decreasing recidivism. The Amount of Employable Skills directly affects the employability of a returning citizen. The Employability of a Returning Citizen is a reflection of the number and desirability of their Employable Skills. As their employable skills increase, so will their employability. The
Quality of Career Opportunities is also determined by the desirability and number of a person’s
Employable Skills. As their Employable Skills increase in quality and in value, their Quality of Career Opportunities will increase. A returning citizen’s Number of Employment Opportunities is determined by the quality of their employment opportunities. For example, a lawyer also has the ability to work as a manager or fast-food worker. Obviously, this does not work in the opposite direction. Thus, as one’s Quality of Career Opportunities increases, so does their Number of Employment Opportunities. Employers’ Stigma of a Criminal Record is the negative feelings or prejudice employers have towards applicants who have a criminal record. This stigma is really a crucial blockade to employment for many returning citizens (Petersen, 2015). Discrimination in
the Employment Process is a result of Employers’ Stigma of a Criminal Record (Petersen,
2015). Employers are fearful that someone with a criminal record will act out at work. Thus, they will purposefully discriminate against those with criminal records.
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Employment System Behavior-Over-Time graphs (BOT’s)
Behavior over time graphs are used in Systems Thinking to help visually represent patterns of behavior in systems. The following are representations of the variables highlighted in the Employment System.
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Employment System Causal Loop Diagram (CLD)
The causal-loop-diagram (CLD) of the Employment System is represented by six loops, and is shown below.
Main Left CLD: As the amount of employable skills increases, the quality of career opportunities will increase which also increases the number of employment opportunities and the employment percent rate of returning citizens. This then decreases the recidivism rate (Burt, 2009). There is a delay between the decrease in recidivism rate and the increased positive public perception of returning citizens which can eventually increase the level of funding for prisoner education and the maximum possible education level that they can receive because of the increased funding. This then leads back to an increased amount of employable skills creating a virtuous reinforcing loop.
Top Left CLD: The top CLD splits from the main CLD through the variable of the Level of
positive public perception of returning citizens. As this increases, it will cause an increase in the ability of a returning citizen to graduate with an occupational or professional license. This leads back to an increased amount of employable skills creating another virtuous reinforcing loop.
Bottom CLD: The bottom CLD reflects the research on the public perception of hiring returning citizens (Rade, 2016). As the number of employment opportunities and the percent rate of employment of returning citizens increase, the amount of employer stigma of a criminal
51 public. There is a delay between those two variables because public perception is not changed instantly. This then leads to an increase in policy change to restrict the use of criminal
background checks which decreases the level of employer fear of liability. This also decreases the level of discrimination in the employment hiring process which increases the number of employment opportunities. This is a virtuous reinforcing loop diagram.
Inside Bottom CLD: This CLD is directly related to the employer’s perception of the hiring process and their willingness to hire a returning citizen (Vigne, 2009). The decreased amount of employer stigma of a criminal background can also tie directly to a decreased employer fear of liability problems which continues through the rest of the CLD. This is a virtuous reinforcing CLD.
Middle Right CLD: The increase in the amount of employable skills increases the employability of returning citizens which decreases the recidivism rate. As recidivism goes down there are less people in prison so there is less spending on inmates. This extra money can be reinvested into correctional education which will increase the amount of employable skills they can acquire (Davis, 2013). This creates a virtuous reinforcing loop.
Top Right CLD: As the employability of returning citizens goes up, the recidivism rate decreases. This leads to an increase in the level of positive public opinion on correctional education. There is another delay here before the variable on public perception change. This increases the level of positive policymaker opinions regarding correctional education which could lead to an increase the availability of Pell grants to prisoners. Pell Grants are provided through the federal government, and it is important to note that there is not much being done right now federally to reduce recidivism effectively(Mastrorilli, 2016). Another option to fund Correctional Education is through state government. Funding at the state level may yield quicker results because it would not have to be approved by Congress. An increase in the availability of Pell grants to prisoners (or other source of funding for Correctional Education) will increase the level of correction education participation which leads to more employability of returning citizens (Davis, 2013). This is also a virtuous reinforcing loop diagram.
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Laws of the Fifth Discipline found in the Health System
There are two predominant Laws of Systems Thinking demonstrated in the Employment System.
Number 1, There is no blame. Throughout all of our CLDs, we have a common factor.
Perception of returning citizens by a variety of different people including the public, employers, and policymakers is a repeating variable which shows that not just one group is responsible for the stigma put upon the returning citizens. The opinions of these groups directly affect the policy changes that are made in regards to helping the offenders once they are released. It is the actions of all of these groups combined that has created the issues of employability of returning citizens.
Number 2, Today’s problems come from yesterday’s solutions. Pell Grants were eliminated as an educational resource for returning citizens during the recession, but are now beginning to return on a trial basis. Taking these grants away was seen as a money saving solution during the recession, but now this solution is causing more problems for returning citizens who want to enter into the community once they’re released (Mastrorilli, 2016). Without good education, returning citizens can’t get quality jobs or housing which make communities more prone to criminal activity. The grants are proven to increase education, which in turn increases employability therefore decreasing recidivism rates.
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The Employment System Linking to Other Systems
The Employment System can link to other subsystems of the Criminal Justice System through key variables. For this narrative, two variables have been chosen to link the
Employment System to the Not-For-Profit System and to the Housing System.
Level of Employability of Returning Citizens: This variable would link with Not-For Profits because these organizations have programs that help returning citizens develop employable skills and find jobs outside of prison. Without the NFP’s, the employability and employment rate of returning citizens would be much lower.
Recidivism Rate links to Housing: The rate of Recidivism in both ecosystems leads to more money being spent bettering the programs available to the returning citizens. When there are less people in prison, there is more money spent on funding rehab programs and education programs that help the inmates find jobs and stable housing once they are released. When returning citizens have a steady job and income, they are more likely to have better housing opportunities.
Employment System Leverage Points
A leverage point is a variable that, when changed slightly, can produce major results in the system. This must be pushed in the right direction as to not create resistance within the system. Two leverage points have been identified in the Employment System.
Policy Restricting the Use of Criminal Background Checks: Employers’ use of criminal background checks on potential employees causes several problems for returning citizens, especially those who are not repeat offenders for long periods of time after their conviction (Petersen, 2015). If this policy was changed so it restricted the ability to perform background checks on returning citizens after 3-8 years of clean record, it is possible the employment rate of returning citizens would increase. This amount of time changes depending on how young the offender was at the time of the crime and how serious the offense was.
Amount of Correctional Education: The level of education offered and funded in correctional facilities can directly impact the level of employable skills a returning citizen can develop prior to release (Davis, 2013). If pre-release educational opportunities are limited, returning citizens are more likely to have a hard time finding living wage employment which reduces the employment rate of returning citizens. The more education they receive while incarcerated, the higher the chances they have of finding a quality job once released (Ibid).
Other possible leverage points include changes regarding perception or stigma surrounding returning citizens. However, it is nearly impossible to change these within a reasonable timeframe to realize substantial impact. Instead, we will have to make a change somewhere else that will change people’s perceptions without them even realizing it. It is our challenge to the readers of this report to question their own beliefs about returning citizens.
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Employment System Innovation and Change
Our recommendations for system change include increasing funding for Correctional Education and restricting the use of criminal background checks in the employment process. As there is an increase in funding for Correctional Education, there will also be an increase in the employability of returning citizens (Davis, 2013). By restricting the use of criminal background checks in the employment process for occupations that are not restricted to felons, employers will not be able to tell when an applicant has a criminal record until later in the hiring process. Together, these changes create more employable returning citizens and employers that are more likely to hire them (Peterson, 2015).
55 Employment System References
Burt, Rose M. (2009). More Than a Second Chance: An Alternative Employment Approach to Reduce Recidivism Among Criminal Ex-Offenders, Tennessee Journal of Law & Policy, 6(1). Retrieved from http://trace.tennessee.edu/tjlp/vol6/iss1/3.
Davis, L.M., Bozick, R., Steele, J.L., Saunders, J., & Miles, J.N.V. (2013). Evaluating the Effectiveness of Correctional Education: A Meta-Analysis of Programs That Provide Education to Incarcerated Adults. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation. Retrieved from http://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR266.html.
*Fastenberg, Dan. (2013). Ex-Convict Goes Job Hunting: The Hardest Career Turnaround.
AOL.com. Retrieved from https://www.aol.com/article/2013/03/09/ex-convict-goes-job-
hunting-the-hardest-career-turnaround/20458892/.
Leasure, P. & Andersen, T.S. (2016). The Effectiveness of Certificates of Relief as Collateral Consequence Relief Mechanisms: An Experimental Study (November 7, 2016). Yale
Law and Policy Review Inter Alia, 35(11). Retrieved from
https://ssrn.com/abstract=2927460.
Mastrorilli, M. E. (2016). With pell grants rising: A review of the contemporary empirical literature on prison postsecondary education. Journal of Correctional Education, 67(2), 44-60. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.gvsu.edu/docview/1860277602?accountid=39473.
Miller, G. (2012). Collateral Consequences of Criminal Convictions: Cost - Benefit Analysis.
Journal of Law, Economics Policy, 9(1), 119-144. Retrieved from
http://heinonline.org.ezproxy.gvsu.edu/HOL/Page?handle=hein.journals/jecoplcy9&colle ction=journals&page=119.
National Institute of Corrections. (2017). Implement Certificate-Based Soft Skills Training. Correctional Industries: A Guide to Reentry-Focused Performance Excellence. Retrieved from https://info.nicic.gov/cirs/?q=node/36.
Petersen, I. (2015). Toward True Fair-Chance Hiring: Balancing Stakeholder Interests and Reality in Regulating Criminal Background Checks. Texas Law Review, 94(1), 175-203. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1734601212?pq-origsite=summon.
Rade, C.B., Desmarais, S.L., & Mitchell, R.E. (2016). A Meta-Analysis of Public Attitudes Toward Ex-Offenders. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 43(9), 1260-1280. Retrieved from http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0093854816655837.
Senge, P. M. (2006). The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization. NewYork: Currency DoubleDay.
Sered, D. (2017). Accounting for Violence: How to Increase Safety and Break Our Failed
Reliance on Mass Incarceration. New York: Vera Institute of Justice.
56 News.
La Vigne, N. G., Shollenberger, T. L., & Debus, S. A. (2009). One year out: Tracking the
experiences of male prisoners returning to Houston, Texas. Urban Institute, Justice
Policy Center.
Western, B., Kling, J.R., & Weiman, D.F. (2001). The Labor Market Consequences of Incarceration. Crime & Delinquency, 47, 410-427. Retrieved from
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