This chapter will look at different forms of stigma in incarcerated individuals. There will be information from empirical articles and other sources. One article that shows the stigma with formerly incarcerated individuals is “Invisible Stripes? Formerly Incarcerated Persons’ Perceptions of Stigma”. This article shows the relationship between stigma from disadvantaged groups and formerly incarcerated individuals. The article states, “despite this surge of interest, the examination of prisoner reintegration has largely neglected the subjective perspective of formerly incarcerated persons about what it means to live with the ‘‘ex-convict’’ label” (LeBel, 2011, 90).

The stigma of incarceration is the labeling, separation, and discrimination formerly incarcerated individuals might face in and out of the prison system. As stated in “Jail Inmates’ Perceived and Anticipated Stigma: Implications for Post-release Functioning,” perceived and anticipated stigma among offenders nearing re-entry into the community may influence behavior in various ways favorably and adversely. In other contexts, stigma may have positive repercussions for specific ethnic groups, probably because experiencing or anticipating stigma prepares inmates to face obstacles in the community. On the other hand, stigma may have detrimental consequences in other domains and for other inmates, presumably because experiencing or anticipating stigma causes humiliation, despair, or anger. This research article also found that sometimes how the public perceives offenders is related to both positive and dire consequences. Most research on perceived stigma has found that the more people report feeling stigmatized by the public, the more likely they are to have unfavorable psychological and social effects (Moore et al., 2012, pg 535-545).

Stigma may not be experienced, perceived, anticipated, or internalized in the same manner by every person with a criminal background, and it may not always have the same effects on different people. The amount to which a person experiences, perceives, anticipates, and internalizes stigma depends on various factors, including the length of time, spent incarcerated and the nature of the crime they were accused of committing. According to “The stigma of incarceration experience: A systematic review,” “Findings were mixed regarding sociodemographic variables associated with stigma mechanisms. Various behavioral/health factors (reoffending, mental health symptoms) were associated with stigma mechanisms, though most evidence was cross-sectional.”

There are many ways in which stigma is proven. The definition is “…a mechanism driving the consequences of incarceration for formerly incarcerated people and their families.” We can see this throughout the media today. “More than six hundred thousand people are released from state and federal prisons annually, with nearly ninety-five percent of those returning to the communities in which they resided before incarceration” (Frankel & DePoy, 2021).

Critical Thinking Questions/Exercise

1. What are some challenges post-incarcerated individuals face coming back into society?
2. Why may it be hard for post-incarcerated individuals to reenter society?
3. Name some ways the stigma on post-incarcerated individuals affects their mental health.

References

Feingold, Z. R. (2021). The stigma of incarceration experience: A systematic review.  Psychology, Public Policy, and Law, 27(4), 550–569. https://doi.org/10.1037/law0000319

Frankel, A., & DePoy, E. (2021, November 14). Thoughts Beyond Stigma-Implications for Change Reflected in the Voices of Previously Incarcerated Citizens. CrimRxiv. Retrieved December 4, 2022, from https://www.crimrxiv.com/pub/a1snady0/release/1

LeBel, T. p. (2011, December 15). Invisible Stripes? Formerly Incarcerated Persons’ Perceptions of Stigma. Deviant Behavior, 33:2, 89-107. https://doi.org/10.1080/01639625.2010.538365

Moore, K., Stuewig, J., & Tangney, J. (n.d.). Jail inmates’ perceived and anticipated stigma: Implications for the post … Retrieved December 5, 2022, from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15298868.2012.702425