Factors Influencing Access to Employment by Ex-Offenders

Abstract

Previous studies have found that several factors influence the ability of ex-offenders in accessing employment after release. The purpose of the study was to investigate these factors and determine the degree to which they do influence access to employment of ex-offenders. The study targeted prisoners who have been released from the Meru GK Prison during the last five years totaling to 4200. A combination of convenience and snowball sampling was used to select a sample of respondents. A list consisting of individuals who had been released from prisons was obtained from Meru GK Prison. Using the list, and with the help of three research assistant, the ex-prisoners were traced using the Warrant contact information. Once traced, the respondents were explained the purpose of the study, and requested to complete a structured questionnaire and 58 respondents were successfully traced and agreed to participate, of these 6 questionnaires were spoilt. The chi-Square analysis was used to test the hypothesis, and from the analysis, the null hypothesis that there is no relationship between personal characteristics of ex-offenders and access of employment after prison is rejected. Also the null hypothesis that there is no relationship between Job Search of ex-offenders and access of employment after prison is rejected since the observed Chi-square (15.028) was greater that critical chi-square (9.49). The null hypothesis that there is no relationship between Legal Framework of ex-offenders and access of employment after prison was also accepted as the observed Chi¬square of 7.044 was greater than that critical chi-square of 12.53. Finally, the null hypothesis that there is no relationship between Nature of Crime of ex-offenders and access of employment after prison is rejected.