MSW Programs' Admissions Policies Regarding Applicants with Histories of Criminal Justice Involvement

This article examines U.S.-based MSW programs' admissions practices and policies toward applicants with criminal convictions. Despite national attention to mass incarceration and its impact on college admissions, there is a dearth of empirical investigation in this area. Through a national surv...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of social work education 2020-10, Vol.56 (4), p.721-733
Main Authors: Curran, Laura, Sanchez Mayers, Raymond, DiMarcantonio, Laura, Fulghum, Fontaine H.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Admission Criteria
Admissions policies
Applicants
Background
Civil Rights
College Admission
College Applicants
Convictions
Correctional Rehabilitation
Crime
Criminal justice
Criminal justice policy
Criminals
Decision Making
Ethics
Field Experience Programs
Fieldwork
Imprisonment
Inplant Programs
Institutional Characteristics
Institutionalized Persons
Justice
Masters Programs
National Surveys
Polls & surveys
Practice placements
Professional practice
Recidivism
Risk Assessment
School Policy
Social Justice
Social Work
Social work education
State Surveys
Student Placement
Training
Transparency
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Summary:This article examines U.S.-based MSW programs' admissions practices and policies toward applicants with criminal convictions. Despite national attention to mass incarceration and its impact on college admissions, there is a dearth of empirical investigation in this area. Through a national survey of MSW programs' admissions personnel (n = 146), this study seeks to fill this research gap. We ask: How do MSW programs evaluate applicants with criminal justice histories; what factors account for programs' interest/concern with these histories; and what factors influence programs' admission decision-making in relation to these applicants? Findings indicate that a majority of MSW programs screen applicants in relation to their criminal justice backgrounds and do so primarily to uphold professional gatekeeping responsibilities and address concerns related to securing field placements. Social justice issues did not emerge as a significant factor in program practices and policies. The majority of respondents did not provide training or guidelines to the reviewers regarding evaluation of applicants with criminal convictions nor did programs' criteria for admission entirely correlate with the criminal justice literature on predictors of recidivism. Recommendations include greater transparency in processes and greater training and consistency for reviewers.
ISSN:1043-7797
2163-5811
DOI:10.1080/10437797.2019.1661903