Employment after Incarceration in Canada

Purpose: Explore social stigmatization of formerly incarcerated individuals and its effect on post-release employment.

Semi-structured interviews conducted with 22 men at various stages of federal release in Canada.
Participants included those actively searching for or considering employment post-release.
Inductive approach for data collection, coding, and analysis.

Stigmatization Awareness: Participants were acutely aware of the stigma tied to their criminal records.
Identity Management Strategies: Six strategies emerged:
- Conditional Disclosure: Choosing when to disclose criminal history.
- Deflection: Normalizing their stigma through education without direct disclosure.
- Identity Substitution: Sharing less stigmatized identities instead of their criminal past.
- Defying Expectations: Working harder to disprove stereotypes.
- Withdrawal: Avoiding interactions to protect from rejection.
- Avoidance: Not revealing information about their past.
- Factors influencing disclosure include timing, interpersonal dynamics, history, and work ethic.

Employment is vital for community sustainability and reintegration post-incarceration.
Despite policies like