Little is known about how individuals with a criminal record manage their stigma, if they adjust their strategy over time and whether chosen strategies are related to reintegration success. This study aims to answer these questions using longitudinal data of the Prison Project—a nationwide cohort study among male prisoners in the Netherlands. On average, these men do not hide their criminal past, but a substantial group endorses the secrecy strategy, even two years after release. Individuals' current stigma management strategies seem to neither improve nor worsen employment outcomes. More insight into how offenders manage their stigma is warranted and may contribute to their reintegration.

中文翻译：

---

保密是最佳策略？出狱后的污名化管理与就业成果

关于有犯罪记录的个人如何管理他们的污名，他们是否随着时间的推移调整他们的策略以及所选择的策略是否与重新融入成功有关，我们知之甚少。本研究旨在使用监狱项目的纵向数据来回答这些问题——这是一项针对荷兰男性囚犯的全国性队列研究。平均而言，这些人不会隐瞒他们的犯罪过去，但有相当一部分人支持保密策略，即使在获释两年后也是如此。个人当前的污名管理策略似乎既不会改善也不会恶化就业结果。有必要更深入地了解罪犯如何管理他们的污名，并可能有助于他们重新融入社会。