Individuals exonerated after spending years or decades in prison confront significant obstacles when attempting to secure employment and rebuild their lives following release, according to advocates and formerly incarcerated people working to address the challenge. The difficulties extend beyond typical job-search hurdles, as exonerees encounter employer stigma and lack access to government-funded reentry programs that assist parolees and probationers.
Richard Miles, who was released from a Texas prison in 2009 and later founded Miles of Freedom, a Dallas-based nonprofit supporting formerly incarcerated individuals, described the persistent perception problem facing exonerees. "We're still kind of like looked at as an inmate that did a particular crime. It further deteriorates our ability to believe that the system can heal itself," Miles said. He eventually secured employment through a minister at his church but struggled initially to find work.
The employment challenges facing exonerees came into focus following a high-profile case in Louisiana. A man who served nearly 30 years in prison before his murder conviction was vacated in 2021 was elected to become Orleans Parish clerk of criminal court in November. However, Louisiana lawmakers sent a bill to the governor's desk abolishing his job, citing government efficiency concerns rather than his past conviction. The decision resonated widely among exonerees across the country as emblematic of the biases they confront.
According to the National Registry of Exonerations, more than 3,800 people have been exonerated in the United States since 1989. Unlike those released on parole or probation, exonerees do not qualify for government-provided employment assistance, housing support, or mental health services. Jeffrey Deskovic, who spent 16 years in prison in New York for rape and murder before being exonerated in 2006, reported facing rejection from prisoner reentry organizations that stated he did not qualify for assistance because he was not on parole or probation.
Employment data underscores the severity of the problem. A 2018 study by the Prison Policy Initiative found that formerly incarcerated people were unemployed at a rate exceeding 27%, compared to the national unemployment rate of 4.3% in March. A 2021 Bureau of Justice Statistics report found that 33% of federal prisoners released in 2010 had not found employment within four years.
Jon Eldan, founder and executive director of After Innocence, a California-based nonprofit connecting exonerees with support services, said the stigma persists regardless of official exoneration status. "Even if they are seen as somebody who is exonerated, there is still a stigma as somebody who has been in prison," Eldan said.
Some states have begun implementing support mechanisms. Delaware passed legislation providing wrongful imprisonment compensation, housing assistance, food benefits, health and dental insurance, and a state certificate documenting wrongful incarceration and innocence. After Innocence is working with California and New Mexico on similar measures. However, Eldan noted challenges in translating statutory protections into practical benefits for exonerees.
Spencer, who spent 34 years in prison for a murder in Dallas he did not commit before exoneration in 2021, applied for jobs at an Amazon warehouse and as an airport baggage loader without success. He eventually secured work as a facilities engineer through someone invested in his case and has held that position for five years. "I think I'm kind of settling in a little more now," Spencer said. "When I walked out of the jail, it was like waking up out of a coma or a bad dream. And of course, I still had to try to get some financial stability."
