Does a Prison Record Pose a Major Obstacle to Advancement?

Many states forbid discrimination on the basis of a prison record unless the crime is specific to the job in question. But it's clearly a factor. Sociologist Devah Pager, now at Princeton, conducted an experiment in which college students posed as job applicants at Milwaukee construction employers. White students reporting no criminal record got called back for an construction interview or job offer 34% of the time but only 17% of those who said they did jail time for cocaine got called. Among blacks, the gap was wider: 14% without a criminal record were called back, but only 5% of those with a record.