The Mark of a Criminal Record
2003 · paper · Sociology
Uses an experimental audit in which matched pairs of job seekers applied for real entry-level jobs to test how a criminal record affects employment for black and white men. It reports that a criminal record is a major barrier to employment.
Checked: PDF from ipr.northwestern.edu, fetched 5 Oct 2026. Page numbers are those of that PDF.
4 findings
Substance The text says "ranging from a high of 5.2% in June to a low of 4% in September", but footnote 24 gives "June (5.4%), July (5.2%), August (4.8%), September (4.4%)".
- p. 16 Study context, main text
ranging from a high of 5.2% in June to a low of 4% in September
- p. 16 Footnote 24
June (5.4%), July (5.2%), August (4.8%), September (4.4%)
Judge's note: Both images checked. The footnote gives Milwaukee's monthly rates for the same period from the same BLS source. In the footnote the maximum is 5.4% (June) and the minimum is 4.4% (September). The text gives June as 5.2%, which is the footnote's July value, and September as 4%. Rounding cannot explain this.
Second check: another model agreed
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Reference or label Footnote 16: "Between 1990 and 1997, the number of black inmates serving time for drug offenses increased by 60% ... (Bureau of Justice Statistics 1995)". The cited 1995 entry is "Prisoners in 1994".
- p. 13 Footnote 16
Between 1990 and 1997, the number of black inmates serving time for drug offenses increased by 60%, compared to a 46% increase in the number of whites (Bureau of Justice Statistics 1995)
- p. 35 References
1995. Prisoners in 1994
- p. 35 References
1995. Prisoners in 1994, by Allen J. Beck and Darrell K. Gilliard.
- p. 13 Footnote 16
Between 1990 and 1997, the number of black inmates serving time for drug offenses increased by 60%, compared to a 46% increase in the number of whites (Bureau of Justice Statistics 1995).
Only the authors can say what is right here.
Judge's note: Footnote 16 on p.13 and the BJS entries in the reference list confirm it. A report on 1994 published in 1995 cannot contain data running to 1997. Either the cited source or the period is wrong. Elsewhere BJS 1995 is cited for 1980–1992 data, which fits. The fix needs the author's input.
Second check: another model agreed
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Reference or label The Heckman et al. 1998 reference prints "Econometrica 6:1017–99"; the volume number appears truncated (likely 66).
- p. 36 References
Econometrica 6:1017–99.
Only the authors can say what is right here.
Judge's note: Rests on outside knowledge: that Econometrica's 1998 volume is 66. The page image shows "6:1017–99", so this is not an extraction artefact.
Second check: another model agreed
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Reference or label The Neumark 1996 reference prints "Quarterly Journal of Economics 3 (3): 915–41"; the volume number appears truncated.
- p. 37 References, Neumark 1996
Quarterly Journal of Economics 3 (3): 915–41.
- p. 36 Heckman et al. 1998 reference
Econometrica 6:1017–99
- p. 37 Neumark 1996 reference
Quarterly Journal of Economics 3 (3): 915–41
Only the authors can say what is right here.
Judge's note: Rests on outside knowledge: that QJE's 1996 volume is 111. Internally, the same list gives QJE 1995 as volume 110 (Grogger 1995), so a 1996 volume of 3 is implausible. The Econometrica part of this cluster duplicates C019.
Second check: another model agreed
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14 minor (typos and the like; most checked by the judge only)
Wording Current incarcerated population is given as "With over 2 million individuals currently incarcerated" (abstract, p.1) and "With over 2 million people currently behind bars" (p.24), but as "Of the nearly 2 million individuals currently incarcerated" (p.2).
- p. 1 Abstract and introduction
With over 2 million individuals currently incarcerated
- p. 2 Trends in incarceration
Of the nearly 2 million individuals currently incarcerated
- p. 24 Discussion
With over 2 million people currently behind bars
Only the authors can say what is right here.
Judge's note: Read all three passages on the crop images. 'Over' and 'nearly' put the same figure on opposite sides of 2 million. The p.2 figure cites Slevin 2000, a different and earlier source, which may explain it, but the text does not say so. Only the author can say which figure and date is meant.
Second check: another model agreed
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Typo The in-text citation reads "Devine and Elliott 1995" (p.9), but the reference list reads "Devine, P. G., and A. J. Elliot. 1995." (p.35).
- p. 9 Text
Devine and Elliott 1995
- p. 35 References
Devine, P. G., and A. J. Elliot. 1995.
Judge's note: Both images show the two different spellings. It is the same work, so this is a spelling inconsistency only.
Second check: none (judge only)
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Typo Footnote 9 cites "Heckman and Siegelman (1993)", but the reference list reads "Heckman, James, and Peter Seligman. 1993."
- p. 10 Footnote 9
Heckman and Siegelman (1993)
- p. 36 References
Heckman, James, and Peter Seligman. 1993.
Judge's note: Both images confirm the mismatch. Elsewhere the reference list spells the name "Siegelman" (Ayres and Siegelman 1995). The entry is clearly the same chapter, misspelled.
Second check: none (judge only)
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Typo The Fig. 6 caption reads "The main effects of race and criminal record are statically significant (P < .01)"; it should read "statistically".
- p. 22 Fig. 6 caption
are statically significant
- p. 22 Fig. 6 caption
are statically significant (P ! .01)
- p. 22 Fig. 6 caption
are statically significant (P < .01)
Judge's note: The image confirms "statically" in the caption. It is a misspelling.
Second check: none (judge only)
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Typo P.23 reads "Despite the face that these testers were bright articulate college students"; it should read "fact".
- p. 23 Racial differences section
Despite the face that these testers
- p. 23 Racial differences section, second paragraph
Despite the face that these testers were bright
- p. 23 Racial differences section, 2nd paragraph
Despite the face that these testers were bright articulate college students
Judge's note: Confirmed on the image.
Second check: none (judge only)
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Typo Missing words in Appendix A: "a recent correspondence of the effects of race" (p.30, a noun such as 'study' is missing) and "Though it would preferable to include" (p.31, 'be' is missing).
- p. 30 App. A, The case of Milwaukee
a recent correspondence of the effects of race
- p. 31 Sample restrictions
Though it would preferable to include
- p. 32 Sample restrictions
explicit stated security clearance
- p. 31 Appendix A, Sample restrictions
Though it would preferable to include job vacancies
Judge's note: Both phrases confirmed on the images. The 'explicit stated' item is handled under C015.
Second check: none (judge only)
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Typo p.967 reads "a much more common sources of new employment"; the article 'a' does not agree with the plural 'sources'.
- p. 31 App. A
a much more common sources of new employment
- p. 31 Appendix A, Sample restrictions
represent a much more common sources of new employment
Judge's note: Visible in the crop.
Second check: none (judge only)
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Typo P.32 reads "no jobs whose announcements explicit stated security clearance required"; it should read "explicitly stated".
- p. 32 App. A, sample restrictions list
announcements explicit stated security clearance
- p. 32 Appendix A, restrictions list
no jobs whose announcements explicit stated security clearance required
Judge's note: Confirmed on the image.
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Typo App. A prints "represent only part of the total effect of a criminal record of the likelihood of finding employment"; the preposition should be "on the likelihood".
- p. 33 App. A
of a criminal record of the likelihood of finding employment
Judge's note: The crop and page 33 show the wording exactly as quoted. This is a wrong preposition.
Second check: none (judge only)
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Typo The Bendick 1999 reference title reads "A National Report Card on Discimrination in America"; it should read "Discrimination".
- p. 34 References
A National Report Card on Discimrination in
- p. 34 Bendick 1999 reference
Discimrination
- p. 37 Moss and Tilly reference
Soft Sills
- p. 38 Shover reference
Presistent Thieves
Judge's note: Confirmed on the image (p.34). The other misspellings raised here are judged separately in C021, C023 and C024. The claimed wrong journal volumes (Neumark QJE "3 (3)", Heckman et al. Econometrica "6") are printed that way, but whether they are wrong rests on outside knowledge (QJE vol. 111, Econometrica vol. 66) and is not part of this verdict.
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Typo The Bureau of Labor Statistics 2002 reference gives the URL as "http://www.blr.gov/lan/home.htm"; the domain appears to be a typo for bls.gov.
- p. 35 References, Bureau of Labor Statistics 2002
http://www.blr.gov/lan/home.htm
Only the authors can say what is right here.
Judge's note: Rests on outside knowledge: that the BLS web domain is bls.gov and that the LAUS path is /lau/. Page 35 shows "blr.gov/lan" exactly as quoted.
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Typo The Moss and Tilly 1996 reference title reads "'Soft Sills' and Race"; it should read "Soft Skills".
- p. 37 References
“‘Soft Sills’ and Race
- p. 37
“‘Soft Sills’ and Race: An Investigation of Black
Judge's note: Confirmed on the image (p.37).
Second check: none (judge only)
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Typo The Shover 1996 reference title reads "Great Pretenders: Pursuits and Careers of Presistent Thieves"; it should read "Persistent".
- p. 38 References
Careers of Presistent Thieves
- p. 38
Pursuits and Careers of Presistent Thieves
Judge's note: Confirmed on the p.38 image (the C003-b crop shows the Shover entry).
Second check: none (judge only)
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Typo The Western and Pettit 1999 reference title reads "Black-White Earnings Inquality"; it should read "Inequality".
- p. 38 References
Black-White Earnings Inquality
- p. 38 References
Black-White Earnings Inquality, Employment
Judge's note: Confirmed on the image (p.38).
Second check: none (judge only)