The impact of a felony conviction on stigmatization in a workplace scenario

Challenges faced by ex-offenders as they re-enter the labor market are well known, yet the nature of the specific stereotypes that may affect this group are less evident. Also, research drawing parallels between ex-offenders and people with mental illness can shed light on the stigma process more broadly in this setting. This experimental study (N = 325) demonstrated the extent of stereotyping and discrimination toward people who either have a past felony conviction or a past mental illness hospitalization. Participants were randomly selected into an experimental condition to read one scenario depicting a successful worker, then responded to items assessing stereotypes and social distance (a form of discrimination; Link et al., 1999). Results indicated that ex-offender labels were associated with negative stereotypes such as perceived dangerousness and incompetence. Furthermore, participants expressed more social distance toward ex-offenders compared to a worker with a mental illness. These findings demonstrate the depth and extent of work-related stereotypes for ex-offenders, even relative to another stigmatized group.