Life in prison for stealing food

[Fellows, Jeffrey]

The differences are not that high. The last figure I saw indicated somewhat
more than half of those newly incarcerated (in 1994 I think) were employed
prior to going to jail. Also, a significant proportion of the remainder were
likely to not be labor force participants. Thus, the impact of incarceration
should be examined within the context of the labor force participation rates
for the unincarcerated. I am sure the depressing effect on the unemployment
rate is still substantial, but not as high as Doug's figures suggest. 

Another point that shouldn't be forgotten, and is probably more significant,
is the adverse impact of incarceration on future employability and earnings.

Jeff


> -----Original Message-----
> From:	Doug Henwood [SMTP:dhenwood at panix.com]
> Sent:	Thursday, June 03, 1999 3:24 PM
> To:	lbo-talk at lists.panix.com
> Subject:	RE: Life in prison for stealing food
> 
> Brett Knowlton wrote:
> 
> >Unemployment is actually higher here than official statistics reflect
> since
> >the prison population isn't counted, nor are people who have given up
> >looking for work, etc.
> 
> Yeah, but even using harmonized statistical techniques, U.S. unemployment
> rates are well below Europe's. U.S. poverty rates are well above, though.
> 
> If you counted the imprisoned as unemployed, it would have raised the U.S.
> unemployment rate from 4.3% in December 1998 to about 5.6%. The black male
> rate would have gone from 6.7% to 16.7%.
> 
> Doug