Entrepreneurship and Prison: An Exploratory Study on Business Creation by Ex-Convicts
Type de matériel :
69
One of the main problems that ex-convicts face is finding a job. Entrepreneurship programs have emerged as a viable solution. This research thus aims to explore the characteristics of former convicts who became entrepreneurs and to determine their needs in terms of support. This qualitative study was based on twenty-two semistructured interviews with eleven former convicts and eleven business consultants. Our results pointed to the resilience that emerged through entrepreneurial behavior. This entrepreneurial resilience was associated with determination and a need for freedom. In addition, difficulties in networking were compensated for with self-efficacy. Our findings also revealed no entrepreneurship training for this population, particularly during the detention period. Some of the business consultants were unaware of the ex-prisoners’ background, which may have affected the quality of support, especially in moral and psychological terms. Certain qualities seem necessary to work with ex-convicts: a nonjudgmental attitude, sensitivity to their needs, and active listening skills.
Réseaux sociaux