Public attitudes towards the employment of ex-offenders with a disability

This study determines whether members of the public hold different attitudes and expectations towards the employment of ex-offenders who have an intellectual disability and Design/methodology/approach A sample of 642 participants, recruited via social media, were presented with vignettes, and then completed a short survey designed to measuretheir attitudes and expectations towards the employment of ex-offenders. Findings Whilst presence of a mild intellectual disability did not significantly affect commun ity attitudes towards ex-offender employment, it did change expectations about employment outcomes. Research limitations/implications It appears that ex-offenders are perceived as a homogenous group of people, despite actual and substantial differences existing within this population. Practic al implications There is a need to actively education the community about differences between subgroups of ex-offenders in relation to the employment needs of those with an intellectual disability. Originality/value This is one of the only studies that has examined public attitudes towards this gr oup,
Source: Journal of Intellectual Disabilities and Offending Behaviour - Category: Criminology Source Type: research