Employment after prison: Navigating conditions of precarity and stigma

Abstract

In an effort to extend understanding of the employment concerns faced by former prisoners released into the community, we draw from the voices of 24 individuals released from federal prison in Canada. We explore how the stigma imposed on individuals with prior experiences of incarceration interacts with the employment programming government and community-based agencies offer; particularly within the current climate of precarious employment. Findings evidence that participants, too often, attain employment involving manual labour and report experiencing low-wage and non-gratifying jobs, despite participation in pre-employment programming, which drives their re-evaluation and re-creation of career aspirations. We show how the conditions underpinning the movement toward employment for former prisoners can encourage the potential exploitation of their labour within both formal and informal job markets.