The Impact of Housing Instability on Criminal Trajectories

• In Event: Housing and Crime

Abstract

Prior research has demonstrated an overlap between the prisoner population and the homeless population. Individual characteristics of members of these populations as well as neighborhood characteristics have been shown to act as mechanisms that drive this self-reinforcing relationship. In this study, we build on both social control and social disorganization theory by using group-based trajectory modeling to estimate the influence of housing instability on pathways to prison for a sample of 250 prison inmates in Ohio. We hypothesize that individuals experiencing housing instability will show more involvement in the criminal justice system throughout the 18 months prior to imprisonment. We conclude with a discussion of implications for public policies related to housing and crime.

Authors

• Stephanie Casey Pierce, The Ohio State University

• Robert T. Greenbaum, The Ohio State University

• Paul E. Bellair, The Ohio State University