Criminal Justice Involvement, Self-employment, and Barriers in Recent Public Policy

Keith Finlay, Michael Mueller-Smith () and Brittany Street
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Michael Mueller-Smith: Department of Economics, University of Michigan

No 2210, Working Papers from Department of Economics, University of Missouri

Abstract: This study provides the first empirical evidence on the extent of self-employment within the U.S. justice-involved population. Using linked tax return and Criminal Justice Administrative Records System data, we find that 28 percent of individuals with criminal records are self-employed. Justice-involved individuals are 22 percent more likely to rely solely on selfemployment. The Paycheck Protection Program, passed to support small business during the COVID-19 pandemic, initially disqualified those with a broad range of criminal histories. We find that close to three percent of recent sole-proprietors had observable PPP disqualifying events based on initial eligibility criteria, with a disparate impact on Black and Hispanic business owners.

Keywords: self-employment; criminal histories; federal support programs; Paycheck Protection Program; COVID-19 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: H81 J24 K42 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 35 pages
Date: 2022-12
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-ent, nep-law and nep-ure
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Journal Article: Criminal Justice Involvement, Self‐Employment, and Barriers in Recent Public Policy (2023)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:umc:wpaper:2210

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