The impact criminal history has on the employability of African American and Latino populations with disabilities receiving state vocational rehabilitation services: Implications for adding a criminal history variable to the RSA-911 data

BACKGROUND: Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) provides counseling, training, job placement, assistive technology and other support services to people with disabilities. VR counselors work to find employment consistent with their client’s strengths, resources, priorities, concerns, abilities, capabilities, interests and informed choice. In order for VR counselors to be successful and effective in providing these services, it is important to know the client’s full history. A great number of VR clients have criminal histories or have been adjudicated for crimes committed. According to the RSA-911 Technical Report, however criminal history is not a part of the VR national scope. OBJECTIVE:The following article discusses how the omission of criminal history has and will continue to have a significant impact on those clients in securing employment; and indirectly, affecting the success rate of VR. CONCLUSIONS: Suggestions for how to include criminal history are also included.