Employment and Wages of African American Male Ex-Offenders with Disabilities

Prior research has shown that African American ex-offenders with disabilities earn $1.08 less per hour than their White counterparts and $0.75 less per hour than their Latinx counterparts. Within the current study, we investigated if similar wage disparities (and employment) were present when these individuals exited state vocational rehabilitation. Descriptive and multivariate statistical analyses were conducted utilizing archival Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA-911) data from fiscal years 2018 and 2019. Findings showed that African American ex-offenders with disabilities were employed at slightly lower rates than their White counterparts and earned less. Within this target group, the type of disability impacts wages, with physical disabilities earning less. Employment before the state vocational rehabilitation process strongly correlates with post-state vocational rehabilitation employment. Male ex-offenders with disabilities earned more than their female counterparts. The role of rehabilitation counselors in addressing these findings was discussed using the Social-Ecological Model as an organizing framework to understand the individual, interpersonal, organizational, community, and policy-focused strategies for improving employment and wages in this population. Also discussed were social determinants of health and disability, along with intersectionality.