Collateral Consequences of Punishment: A Critical Review and Path Forward

Abstract

The unprecedented growth of the penal system in the United States has motivated an expansive volume of research on the collateral consequences of punishment. In this review, we take stock of what is known about these collateral consequences, particularly in the domains of health, employment, housing, debt, civic involvement, families, and communities. Yet the full reckoning of the formal and informal consequences of mass incarceration and the tough-on-crime era is hindered by a set of thorny challenges that are both methodological and theoretical in nature. We examine these enduring challenges, which include (a) the importance of minimizing selection bias, (b) consideration of treatment heterogeneity, and (c) identification of causal mechanisms underlying collateral consequences. We conclude the review with a focused discussion on promising directions for future research, including insights into data infrastructure, opportunities for policy tests, and suggestions for expanding the field of inquiry.

Locked Out of the Labor Market? State-Level Hidden Sentences and the Labor Market Outcomes of Recently Incarcerated Young Adults

“…Incarceration-and criminal justice contact more broadly-has therefore become an increasingly common turning point in the life course for millions of people, especially young men of color. Research shows that these young people experience long and lasting consequences in the labor market that accumulate over time, one of the many ways that the criminal justice system creates and reinforces existing social inequality (Kirk and Wakefield 2017;Wakefield and Uggen 2010). The informal social stigma attached to a criminal label is often implicated in the labor market struggles of formerly incarcerated individuals (Pager 2003).…”

Improving Health Equity for Women Involved in the Criminal Legal System

“…Women often shoulder greater financial burdens and family responsibilities than men (Hersch & Meyers, 2018;Richie, 2012). Plus, collateral consequences of incarceration for women involving health, employment, housing, debt, civic involvement, families, and communities can reduce opportunities to sustain healthy relationships and financial security (Fedock & Covington, 2017;Hersch & Meyers, 2018;Kirk & Wakefield, 2018).…”

Réimaginer la réinsertion sociale : le désistement assisté en Irlande

“…Les sanctions pénales entraînent un large éventail de coûts pour les gens, qui peuvent se faire ressentir longtemps après la fin de leur peine. Parmi ces coûts, que l'on appelle les conséquences collatérales de la sanction pénale, on retrouve des problèmes de santé physique et mentale, peu de perspectives d'emploi, des difficultés financières, des problèmes familiaux, l'exclusion sociale et des problèmes de logement (Kirk et Wakefield, 2018). Pour démontrer cet argument, il est pertinent de prendre en compte la question de l'emploi en Irlande.…”