Replication Data for: Mixed Signals From Prison? Post-Secondary Vocational Credentials, Race, and Post-Release Employment

Despite the renewed bipartisan policy support for post-secondary correctional education (PSCE) as a pathway to reduce post-release labor market barriers, extant studies often find mixed and inconsistent economic returns, with limited attention to how PSCE interacts with persistent racial discrimination to shape job prospects. Drawing on signaling and social status theories, this study examines whether PSCE credentials, particularly vocational certificates, improve post-release employment outcomes and whether race moderates signaling effects. Through a matched correspondence audit study of 1,502 employers seeking heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) workers, this article advances understandings of the signaling value of PSCE in skilled trade labor markets. Results indicate that HVAC credentials improved callback chances for applicants regardless of prison record status, yet this advantage was not adequate for completely overcoming stigma. While HVAC credentials earned during incarceration operated similarly for Black and White men, the additive effects of racial discrimination and prison record stigma created compounded disadvantages for Black formerly incarcerated men. These findings demonstrate both the promise and limitations of PSCE vocational credentials for improving job opportunities and highlight the need for integrated policy solutions that address both the mark of a prison record and racial discrimination in skilled trade labor markets.