Obtaining employment has been shown to reduce recidivism among formerly incarcerated individuals, but many face discrimination when applying for jobs. The current research examined how the length of incarceration and the time since an applicant was released from prison affected the likelihood of the applicant being hired. Community members ( N = 688) nationwide were randomly assigned to read one of 10 different resume and job application pairings in which the length of incarceration (15 months, 5 years, or 10 years) and time since release from prison (2 weeks, 3 months, or 1 year) were varied. Participants then decided whether to hire the applicant and answered questions regarding his morality. Results indicated that perceived morality of the applicant mediated the relationship between hiring decisions and felon status. Applicants with a felony were perceived to be less moral, which then made them less likely to be hired. Implications are discussed.

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