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Ex‐Offenders, the Labour Market and the New Public Administration
Author(s) -
Fletcher Del Roy
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
public administration
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.313
H-Index - 93
eISSN - 1467-9299
pISSN - 0033-3298
DOI - 10.1111/1467-9299.00284
Subject(s) - administration (probate law) , context (archaeology) , work (physics) , public administration , authoritarianism , public policy , criminal law , public relations , political science , criminology , business , economics , sociology , law , politics , engineering , democracy , mechanical engineering , paleontology , biology
Policy makers are increasingly recognizing the importance of helping ex‐offenders into employment. This article outlines the disadvantages faced by those with a criminal record in the labour market and evaluates several approaches to meeting the needs of ex‐offenders seeking work. It finds that, despite recent policy developments, the changing nature of British public administration is undermining the ability of practitioners to respond appropriately to the needs of ex‐offenders. The article concludes that the real concern of policy makers is to show that they are doing something about the social context of criminal behaviour while at the same time drawing attention away from the increasingly centralized and authoritarian nature of our public agencies.