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| WORK

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A CRIMINAL RECORD SIGNIFICANTLY LIMITS JOB PROSPECTS, REDUCING LIFETIME WAGES AND ACCESS TO CAREERS THAT PROVIDE LONG-TERM, STABLE EMPLOYMENT.

These effects are exacerbated by imprisonment, which leads to loss of skills, social networks and work history, and intensified for job seekers who are Black, or Latinx, and for those whose convictions are classified as violent or sex-related. Beyond the economic, the personal losses associated with diminished career aspirations sometimes cut just as deeply. Work is part of our identities, part of how we make family and community, and it shapes our sense of possibility for the future.

On Fire

RESEARCH BRIEF

The Best Firefighting Jobs Require the EMT License

Melissa Burch and Charlotte Smith

California relies on imprisoned people to prevent and fight wildfires, but bans many people with criminal convictions from obtaining Emergency Medical Technician licenses, a credential essential to advancement in the firefighting profession.

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GO FURTHER

Explore Scholarship

ECONOMICS OF CONVICTION

Get Involved

JOIN THE STRUGGLE TO CHALLENGE EMPLOYMENT BARRIERS

Lived Experience

CAPTIVITY
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