NCJ Number
232820
Journal
The Prison Journal Volume: 90 Issue: 4 Dated: December 2010 Pages: 377-396
Date Published
December 2010
Length
20 pages
Annotation
This study assessed the impact of mass incarceration on child poverty rates through the analysis of county-level data for 1995-2007.
Abstract
Traditionally, research on the tremendous variation in the use of incarceration across time and space has focused on the issue of whether imprisoning more offenders reduces crime. More recently, research has begun to explore the collateral consequences of mass incarceration for the families and communities of those imprisoned. The current study adds to this burgeoning literature by examining the impact of incarceration rates on child poverty rates. Employing a panel design for North Carolina county data, 1995-2007, the authors used instrumental variable techniques to disentangle the effect of incarceration on poverty from the effect of poverty on incarceration. The results indicate that mass incarceration has significantly increased child poverty rates. The impact of adult incarceration on child poverty appears especially pronounced in counties with a high proportion of non-White residents. (Published Abstract) Tables, figure, notes, and references