Criminal Background Checks: Impact on Employment and Recidivism

This report from the Urban Institute examines criminal background checks as a significant collateral consequence for people in the justice system and explores the importance of employment to reducing recidivism. Criminal background checks continue to be a routine practice among many employers in the United States. According to a recent survey, almost 60 percent of employers screen job applicants for their criminal histories. Despite their prevalence, criminal background checks often generate flawed or incomplete reports, with some reports failing to include conviction information. Such flaws may undermine the value of the screenings to employers and prevent suitable candidates who pose no additional risk to the public from securing a job.