Effects of Incarceration

Abstract

This chapter offers an overview of research findings relating to the impact of incarceration on subsequent offending and other risk factors. It examines the empirical evidence on the impact of incarceration on aggregate crime rates, followed by a discussion of the effect of imprisonment on subsequent reoffending. The chapter then explores the link between incarceration and risk factors extending beyond behavioral outcomes, including psychological well-being and mental health issues as well as housing and employment outcomes. The collateral consequences of imprisonment on the families of prisoners are also discussed. These include the impact of incarceration on family ties, family housing, and income and the potentially adverse effects on the children of prisoners. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the imprisonment–desistance link and the methodological intricacies pertinent to the study of this relationship.