The Cumulative Risks of Jail and Prison Incarceration

• In Event: Comparative Risks of Jail and Prison Incarceration and Their Consequences

Abstract

Prior research suggests that the cumulative prevalence of prison incarceration is likely to be more unequally distributed than the cumulative prevalence of jail incarceration. However, no research exists that simultaneously estimates the cumulative prevalence of prison and jail incarceration, facilitating comparison. Nationally representative estimates of cumulative risk usually focus on prisons, although recent studies have also examined cumulative jail incarceration risk in specific municipalities (e.g. Western et al. 2021). We use birth cohort life tables to estimate the cumulative risk of both jail incarceration and prison incarceration by age, race/ethnicity, educational attainment, and gender, as well as ethno-racial and gender disparities in incarceration risk. Finally, we compare disparities in cumulative incarceration risk across both types of facilities.

Author

• Christopher Wildeman, Duke University