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Book By Barnard Economist Takes In-Depth Look at Social Effects of America's Prison Boom
 Over the past 30 years, America's prison population has grown from 300,000 inmates to more than two million. Each year, roughly 500,000 former prisoners are returned to society. In a new collection of essays, Imprisoning America: The Social Effects of Mass Incarceration, Barnard economist David Weiman and his co-authors take a hard look at the unintended consequences of the prison boom - its negative impact on low-income communities, the workforce, and the country at large.
One of those consequences could very well affect the upcoming presidential election. The topic is covered in detail in the chapter titled, "Lost Voices: The Civic and Political Views of Disenfranchised Felons."
"Many states and the federal government have enacted policies that actually impede the reintegration of released prisoners," according to Weiman. "The clearest example is the temporary or permanent disenfranchisement of convicted felons, a peculiar feature of the American political system that traces its origins to the racial conflicts in the post-Civil War South. According to several studies, these policies have influenced recent close elections, including the hotly contested 2000 presidential election in Florida. Moreover, the policy may have longer-term impacts, spawning political alienation and apathy among released prisoners but also their families and neighbors."
In a survey for the book, employers were asked whether they would hire a former prisoner. Sadly, for those who are trying to rebuild their lives and for the rest of society, more than 60 percent indicated they "probably" or "definitely" would not.
"According to the conventional wisdom, tougher criminal justice policies like longer mandatory minimum sentences will enhance public safety by incapacitating actual and deterring potential criminal offenders. The magnitude of these benefits are unclear, and are not reckoned against the potential unintended social costs of incarceration," says Weiman, co-editor of Imprisoning America and Barnard Professor of Economics.
Imprisoning America examines crime as it relates to family formation, labor markets, political participation, and community well-being overall and finds that mass incarceration, far from deterring crime, may in fact create more of it. In addition to Weiman, the book was edited by Mary Patillo, associate professor at Northwestern University, and Bruce Western of Princeton, both sociologists.
Among the findings of the book's contributing writers:
* The prison population, numbering 200,000 in 1974, increased to 1.33 million by 2001.
* Incarceration rates for African Americans are about seven times higher than those for whites.
* There is substantial evidence that criminal involvement increases when men are unemployed.
* Often, becoming a father alters a potential criminal's lifestyle by reducing their need to live a "street life."
* Research on children of incarcerated parents suggests that parental incarceration is associated with poorer emotional, behavioral, and psychological development of children.
* The earnings loss associated with incarceration ranges from 10 to 30 percent and serving time in prison is also associated with decreased earnings growth.
* Nearly all states (48 out of 50) bar incarcerated felons from voting; Thirty-three states bar either parolees or probationers, or both, from voting; Fourteen states ban some or all felons from voting. Nearly 4.7 million felons and former felons were precluded from voting in the 2000 presidential election.
* More than 60 percent of employers (polled for the book) indicated that that they would "probably not" or "definitely not" be willing to hire an applicant with a criminal record.
"Annually, about 500,000 to 600,000 individuals are being released from prison back to their communities and face enormous challenges in reconnecting with family members, friends, and the labor market. With minimal public services to facilitate their adjustment, released prisoners put additional burdens on their already fragile families. They are also more likely to turn to illegal activities like the drug trade to augment their income," Weiman says. "By showing the potential costs of mass incarceration, the collection we hope will prompt a serious reconsideration of alternative criminal justice policies, especially for first-time, non-violent offenders."
The conclusion of Imprisoning America is that the experience of being incarcerated has widespread negative effects on myriad aspects of society. Mass incarceration, far from being the solution to crime, may actually increase crime rates and provides a disservice to the community it is designed to protect.
- Glenn Slavin
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