In a Science Review, Christopher Wildeman writes on the harm that mass incarceration inflicts on families and communities

In a Science Review, Christopher Wildeman writes on the harm that mass incarceration inflicts on families and communities

In their Science Review, Christopher Wildeman, Professor of Sociology, Duke University, and  co-author, Hedwig Lee, Professor of Sociology, University of Washington, St. Louis,  assess how mass incarceration  has affected families over the past five decades. Wildeman and Lee find that nearly half of all young adults in the U.S. have an immediate family member who has been jailed. Through their analysis, they reach several  conclusions. First, family member incarceration is now common for American families. Second, individuals who will eventually have a family member incarcerated are worse off than those who never will, even before the incarceration takes place. Third, family member incarceration has negative effects on families above and beyond these preexisting disadvantages. And finally, policy interventions that address the precursors to family member incarceration and seek to minimize family member incarceration would best enhance family well-being. Authors content that if the goal is to help all American families thrive, then the importance of simultaneous changes in social and criminal justice policy cannot be overstated.