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80 MILLION U.S. ADULTS BEAR THE MARK OF A CRIMINAL RECORD.

MOST EMPLOYERS CONDUCT BACKGROUND CHECKS AS A MATTER OF ROUTINE AND DISCRIMINATE ON THEIR BASIS. IN SOME CASES, THIS DISCRIMINATION IS ALLOWED OR REQUIRED BY LAW.

EXPLORE LIVED EXPERIENCES

Many analyses of the carceral state rely heavily on numbers. While essential for documenting the scope and contours of punishment practices, the broad strokes tell us little about how things work in daily practice, the nuances of human interaction, or the details of how policies are enacted, understood and felt by those experiencing them. By tacking back and forth between lived realities, broader contexts and longer histories, ethnography can be a powerful tool for unpacking complex phenomena.

EXPLORE THE RESEARCH DIGEST

The research digest aims to make scholarly research accessible by summarizing key findings, with an eye toward arguments that might be useful to organizers, advocates and educators. Where possible, the summaries link to a source where full articles/books can be accessed for free.

Unfairness of Background Checks

Politics of Change

True Cost of Background Checks

Background Screening

Perceptions of Sex Offender Registration: Collateral Consequences and Community Experiences

Legal Barriers

80 MILLION U.S. ADULTS BEAR THE MARK OF A CRIMINAL RECORD. MOST EMPLOYERS CONDUCT BACKGROUND CHECKS AS A MATTER OF ROUTINE AND DISCRIMINATE ON THEIR BASIS. IN SOME CASES, THIS DISCRIMINATION IS ALLOWED OR REQUIRED BY LAW.