Willingness to Work Among Males on Parole: A Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis

This study investigated employment attitudes of adult males who were recently released from prison and onto parole. The study investigated the role of willingness to work entry-level jobs, an understudied variable in career development of justice-involved persons. We hypothesized that criminal thinking and perception of barriers would each have a direct effect on job search self-efficacy and a direct and indirect effect on willingness to work entry-level jobs, through job search self-efficacy. We also predicted that criminal thinking and perception of barriers would each have an indirect effect on career aspirations within a job, through job search self-efficacy and willingness to work entry-level jobs. Results confirmed these hypotheses. Results of two serial mediation analyses indicated that perceiving more barriers to work predicted less job search self-efficacy, less job search self-efficacy predicted less willingness to work entry-level jobs, and less willingness to work entry-level jobs predicted lower career aspirations. Similarly, higher reactive criminal thinking predicted less job search self-efficacy, less job search self-efficacy predicted less willingness to work entry-level jobs, and less willingness to work entry-level jobs predicted lower career aspirations. Results of qualitative analysis indicated that the vast majority of parolees planned to work in entry-level jobs within the first few months of release from prison. The study sheds light on the work attitudes of males who leave prison and what factors may influence their willingness to work entry-level jobs. Impact Statement People who leave prison onto parole often have difficulty finding and keeping a job, causing them to return to prison. Results of this study show what factors influence males on parole to get and keep a job. Findings have implications for how services can meet the work needs of those who leave prison.