Courtesy Stigma and Carceral Citizenship: An Experimental Survey Approach

• In Event: What’s After Release? Employment Prospects, Community Support, and Ways for Progress

Abstract

Objective: To explore courtesy stigma toward the families of (formerly) incarcerated by gauging the public’s willingness to support various efforts to help those families compared to others who are in similar financial need but from non-stigmatized groups.

Data/Methods: An experimental vignette embedded in a survey administrated to a national quota-based sample is used to examine willingness to donate money or time, as well as action mobilization, to help a family in need. The race of the affected family as well as the reason for need (e.g., prison, car accident) and affected family members (e.g., elderly parent, wife and infant) are randomized.

Results: Results show whether families of current or former prisoners are as likely to receive various forms of support as families affected by financial hardship in other ways and if that support is conditioned by race. We also examine the relationship between respondents’ beliefs (e.g., racial views; neoliberalism) and willingness to support those in need.

Conclusions/Implications: Individuals with prison records experience carceral citizenship (Miller, 2021) and must rely on families to meet basic needs. Understanding the dimensions of courtesy stigma toward families of the (formerly) incarcerated will help shape efforts to support reentry.

Authors

• Audrey Hickert, University of Cincinnati

• Luzi Shi, University of Rhode Island

• Shi Yan, Arizona State University