Prison and the Poverty Trap

In communities with high incarceration rates, the benefit of imprisonment does not necessarily outweigh the cost to those communities. As this New York Times article discusses, prison has become the new “poverty trap” and is likely linked to a whole array of various social disorders in education, income, housing and health.

In communities with high incarceration rates, the benefit of imprisonment does not necessarily outweigh the cost to those communities. As this New York Times article discusses, prison has become the new “poverty trap” and is likely linked to a whole array of various social disorders in education, income, housing and health. The process by which incarceration makes communities worse has been termed “coercive mobility” by Dr. Todd R. Clear, the dean of the School of Criminal Justice at Rutgers University, and a member of NCCD’s Board of Directors. As research in this area continues to reveal, the perverse effect of increased prison sentencing on society as a whole should not be taken lightly.