The Stigma of Incarceration Experience: A Systematic Review

• Published in: Psychology, public policy, and law public policy, and law, 2021-11, Vol.27 (4), p.550-569
• Main Author: Feingold, Zoe R.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Economics; Health Disparities; Human; Incarceration; Intervention; Mentally Ill Offenders; Social Discrimination; Social Equality; Stigma
• ISSN: 1076-8971; 1939-1528
• DOI: 10.1037/law0000319

Individuals who have been incarcerated experience unparalleled health and economic disparities. Stigma, defined as a social phenomenon in which labeling, separation, and discrimination occur together in a power situation that allows them (Link & Phelan, 2001), may be a central cause of the social inequalities that formerly incarcerated persons face (Hatzenbuehler et al., 2013; Tyler & Brockmann, 2017). Researchers have yet to systematically review what is known about stigma related to criminal legal involvement as experienced by individuals with a history of incarceration. In the present study, the quantitative literature regarding criminal stigma was reviewed and an organizational framework from the broader stigma literature (e.g., Earnshaw & Chaudoir, 2009; Fox et al., 2018) was applied to research findings. Of the 31 articles included in the review, 16 (52%) included a measure of enacted stigma (i.e., direct experiences of discrimination), whereas only six (19%) assessed internalized stigma (i.e., application of the public's negative beliefs/attitudes about the group toward oneself). Findings were mixed regarding sociodemographic variables associated with stigma mechanisms. Various behavioral/health factors (e.g., reoffending, mental health symptoms) were associated with stigma mechanisms, though most evidence was cross-sectional. Ultimately, findings may aid in the development of policy and clinical interventions to reduce the impact of incarceration-related stigma and lessen health disparities experienced by individuals with a history of criminal legal involvement.