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Racial Variation in the Effect of Incarceration on Neighborhood Attainment
Michael Massoglia1, Glenn Firebaugh2, Cody Warner2
1University of Wisconsin-Madison.
American Sociological Review
|December 25, 2013
Summary
Incarceration disproportionately impacts neighborhood quality for white individuals, not minorities. This study highlights the importance of pre-prison conditions when examining the effects of reentry on residential outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Criminology
- Sociology
- Urban Studies
Background:
- Over 700,000 individuals are released from prison annually.
- Previous research indicated minority ex-inmates reside in more disadvantaged neighborhoods.
- Lack of pre-prison data obscured whether incarceration caused or merely reflected residential inequality.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of incarceration on neighborhood quality across racial groups.
- To determine if observed racial disparities in post-prison neighborhoods are caused by incarceration or pre-existing inequalities.
- To analyze the role of pre-prison neighborhood conditions in understanding incarceration's residential effects.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a nationally representative longitudinal dataset.
- Tracked individuals' residential locations and neighborhood characteristics over time.
- Controlled for pre-prison neighborhood conditions to isolate the effects of incarceration.
Main Results:
- Only white formerly incarcerated individuals lived in significantly more disadvantaged neighborhoods post-release compared to pre-release.
- Black and Hispanic formerly incarcerated individuals did not experience a significant change in neighborhood disadvantage.
- No significant worsening of neighborhood disadvantage was observed for any racial group (whites, blacks, Hispanics) collectively after incarceration.
Conclusions:
- Racial variation in incarceration's effect on neighborhood outcomes is linked to existing residential inequality.
- White offenders, often from better neighborhoods, have more to lose from a prison spell.
- Controlling for pre-prison characteristics is crucial for accurate analysis of incarceration's impact on residential outcomes.
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