The Effect of a Deportation Threat on the In-Prison Adjustment of Immigrants

• In Event: Roundtable: Immigration

Abstract

The immigrant paradox suggests that foreign-born persons are less likely to engage in crime than native-born persons, despite facing more disadvantaged life circumstances. Yet some immigrants become ensnared within the criminal justice system anyway, and some work finds that the immigrant paradox extends to incarcerated settings. This study assesses the effect of federal detainer status on the in-prison adjustment of foreign-born persons. It is possible that immigrants act out (in the form of disciplinary infractions) or experience worsened well-being (in the form of mental health crises) in response to potential deportation, or it could function as a deterrent for stress-responsive behaviors. Using administrative records from a Western U.S. state prison system between 2010 and 2020 (N=7,697 immigrants), multivariate models were employed to determine whether immigrants who are subject to deportation differ from those who are not in (1) the variety and type of disciplinary infractions they commit, and (2) their likelihood of experiencing mental health crises in prison (e.g., self-harm incidents, scoring for severe mental health needs in prison, mental health watches, de-escalation periods). Findings related to the need for correctional policy to be sensitive to the diversity of adults in custody and the varied stressors they face are discussed.

Author

• Julie Kuper, University of Wyoming