Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management

The criminal justice system in the United States has grown to such an extent that it has impacted the lives of millions of individuals in a variety of ways. Recent research has indicated that the surge in the incarceration rate has swelled the U.S. prison population to unprecedented levels where the prisons holder more than 2.3 million people. While the rate of incarceration has increased drastically, the rate of which ex-offenders are released back into society has stagnated. Approximately 600,000 ex-offenders are released from prison every year, however, within the five years of release, about three-quarters (76.6 percent) of released prisoners were rearrested. The likelihood of recidivism is an issue attributed to the collateral consequences imposed on an individual at the time of their conviction. The prohibition of an individual from qualifying for certain loans stifles their ability to pursue higher education and hold higher paying jobs, drives individuals into homelessness out of inability to access affordable housing, and limits their say on issues in their community without the right to vote. Criminality in the United States is best understood as an economic and political issue where certain civil privileges are dependent on citizenship status. Without the ability to fully participate in society and economy, an offenders’ propensity to re-offend is heightened and their ability to meet the needs of their family is severely limited. Carl’s research posits the intersection of criminality and victimization is more nuanced than some would believe. These notions transcend the realm of the courtroom, where criminality and victimization affect the families and the community at large. His research examines the dimensions of criminality by examining the collateral effects on the family and how incarceration has contributed to increases in generational poverty, housing discrimination, and political strife within communities of color. He seeks to understand the relationship-dynamics and how imprisonment is not a singular event but rather a series of events where all parties connected to the offender is adversely impacted.