This paper examines how social capital prior to incarceration may contribute to experiences during incarceration and whether visitation allows social capital to have protective effects. We investigate, too, whether disadvantages experienced during incarceration by racial and ethnic minorities, women, and individuals in poverty can be explained in part by reduced social capital. We test these ideas using national-level survey data from state prison inmates and a series of regression and mediation analyses. Three main findings emerge: (1) Pre-prison social capital reduces in-prison deviance and improves optimism about reentry. (2) Social capital operates through visitation to reduce social isolation. (3) There is some limited evidence that group disparities in in-prison experiences can be explained by inequalities in social capital.

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This study assesses whether racial and ethnic disparities exist in prison industry employment and whether seemingly race-and ethnicityneutral eligibility requirements contribute to any such disparities. We examine whether there are racial/ethnic disparities in industrial prison work, the extent to which disparities are explained by administrative policies, and the conditions under which disparities are most pronounced. Using 10 years of prison administrative data from Ohio, this study employs multilevel and mediation analyses to examine the effects of race and ethnicity on the odds of working an industrial prison job. Results suggest that Black and Hispanic incarcerated persons (IPs) are less likely to work industry jobs than White IPs. The majority of this disparity stems from program requirements; however, some disparities maintain even when accounting for requirements. Black IPs who do not meet program requirements are less likely to work than White IPs who do not meet program requirements. Racial disparities are smaller in facilities with greater racial heterogeneity among correctional staff. Policy Implications: In our discussion, we underscore how prison policies can contribute to racially and

Theory and logic suggest that placement in restrictive housing (RH) may affect prison visitation, which may be counterproductive given the potential benefits of visitation. The goal of this paper is to examine the potential correspondence between RH and visitation. We use data on incarcerated people in Ohio to conduct two related analyses. One analysis assesses whether the first incident of short-term disciplinary segregation impacts prison visits shortly after segregation. The second analysis examines longitudinal patterns of RH stays and visits to understand the interplay of the two throughout a prison term. Findings suggest that disciplinary segregation might reduce the odds of visitation immediately. RH early in a prison term may also operate to “cut off” future visitation. These results highlight an important knowledge gap and suggest that more research is needed that disentangles how RH may lead to the dissolution of social ties. Implications for research are discussed.

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