Invisible stripes? a field experiment on the disclosure of a criminal record in the British labour market and the potential effects of introducing Ban-The-Box policies

Labour market discrimination against individuals with criminal records may be unfair,
ineffective, and counterproductive. This article describes a field experiment designed to
indicate whether job applicants disclosing a criminal record in the British labour market have
a lower probability of success than equivalent applicants not disclosing criminal records. The
research also provides insights into the potential effects of introducing a Ban-The-Box policy
in the United Kingdom, which would prohibit questions on prior convictions in the first stages
of the recruitment process. The results confirm the existence of criminal record discrimination
and suggest that introducing a Ban-The-Box policy would increase job prospects for White
applicants with criminal records, but not for members of ethnic minorities.