What strategies might address ongoing stereotyping of people with criminal records in the work place?
A possible strategy to address ongoing stereotyping of people with criminal records in the work place is to harness the influential power of the media over public opinion. Currently the manner in which law and order issues are represented in the media is encouraging discrimination against people with a criminal record and attitudinal change is required. The press often represents an unbalanced perspective on the rights of employers and people with criminal records seeking employment, which is often to the detriment of the latter, which leads to the public being misinformed. The press often represent the stance that a ‘tough on crime’ and punitive approach is most appropriate. The press fails to represent the opinion of people with criminal records such as the following: • It inappropriate to treat people with a criminal record as second class citizens or deny them the chance to prove they have reformed. • Discrimination in employment on the basis of criminal record is informally punish
