ABSTRACT
The criminal justice system may itself legitimate and reinforce deeply embedded racial stereotypes, contributing to the persistent chasm in the society between black and white. While stratification researchers typically focus on schools, labor markets, and the family as primary institutions affecting inequality, a new institution has emerged as central to the sorting and stratifying of young disadvantaged men: the criminal justice system. Where racial discrimination may represent one explanation, a growing number of researchers have pointed instead to individual-level factors such as skill deficits and other human capital characteristics as a key source of racial wage differentials. The basic design of an employment audit involves sending matched pairs of individuals to apply for real job openings in order to see whether employers respond differently to applicants on the basis of selected characteristics. The combination of minority status and criminal background appears to intensify employers' negative reactions, leaving few employment prospects for black ex-offenders.
