Employment Barriers Facing Women of Color Upon Re-Entry from Incarceration

Abstract

This paper will explore the plight of low-income women of color reentering society from incarceration and the barriers that they face. By looking at the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity and Reconciliation Act (“PRWORA”), Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and state legislation, I challenge popular litigation strategies advocated by reentry activists and propose changes in welfare requirements and statutory treatment of discrimination against ex-felons that consider both the women’s struggle toward stability, and the employers fear of liability from hiring ex-felons. [From Introduction]