Beyond the Bars report reveals challenges faced by Florida workers with criminal records in temp jobs
A report by Beyond the Bars highlights that hundreds of thousands of Florida workers with criminal records are directed into temporary staffing agencies that typically offer lower wages and no benefits. The temporary employment industry has become the default entry point for people after incarceration in Florida.
Field research indicates that over 70% of individuals returning from prison in South Florida seek work through temp agencies within three years of release. Despite this, 57% are unable to secure full-time jobs paying minimum wage within a year. Temp agencies and labor pools often hire workers with criminal records to ensure flexible supervision while shifting risks and liabilities onto the workers themselves. They also charge employers fees and impose steep placement fees, which hinder workers from gaining permanent employment.
Wage disparities are significant: temp workers in construction earn approximately $6.47 less per hour and those in warehouses about $3.38 less per hour than permanent hires, corresponding to roughly $13,458 and $7,030 in lost annual income respectively.
Florida has about 6.2 million people with criminal records, representing roughly 36% of its population. Of these, over 164,000 are under state supervision, around 157,000 are in state prisons, and 55,763 are housed in county jails.
Personal testimonies from Beyond the Bars members such as Felix and Cam reveal struggles to find permanent roles, lack of benefits, and feelings of disposability following release. A 2022 survey by the National Employment Law Project found widespread issues among temp workers, including wage theft (24%), work-related injuries (17%), paying their own healthcare costs (41%), and retaliation for raising workplace issues (71%).
Beyond the Bars is calling for reforms to probation systems, stricter regulations on temp agencies, and improved protections for workers.
