AbstractsLaw & Legal Studies

The large number of offenders being released from incarceration and returning home presents numerous challenges for both the offenders and their communities. Difficulties in finding housing, gaining employment, and reconnecting with families/friends are some of the main hurdles ex-offenders face throughout the reentry process. While many of the challenges faced by ex-offenders are significant, securing gainful employment can often prove to be the most challenging. Many of the offenders returning to the community have gaps in their employment history, limited skill sets, and insufficient education. This exploratory study investigated the differences between non-urban and urban reentry by relying on the literature provided concerning reentry in urban areas and data collected from employment applications within a non-urban area. Previous research has mainly taken place within large, urban areas and has ignored non-urban areas. This study examined the content of employment applications in Wood County, Ohio. This study specifically explores the use of employment applications as an initial screening for employment. Also, included is a discussion on the concerns of ex-offender employment, encompassing all ex-offenders not just ex-offenders released from a period of incarceration. Results show that barriers to employment upon reentry differ between urban and non-urban settings. Implications of the differences for offender reentry are discussed.