NCJ Number
191884
Journal
Corrections Management Quarterly Volume: 5 Issue: 4 Dated: Fall 2001 Pages: 64-69
Date Published
2001
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This article examines the collateral costs of short-term incarceration.
Abstract
The article addresses the need for a research agenda that further explores the collateral costs associated with short-term incarceration. Since the late 1970's, researchers have examined overcrowding, pretrial detainees, legal liabilities, and facility administration. A neglected area of study is the disruption of social ties associated with jail time. Inmates' families experience stress because of being separated from a loved one and the emotional burden of knowing that someone they care about did something wrong. In addition, families may be required to care for inmates' children or handle a loved one's personal business. Having the major provider absent from the family often leads to reliance on the extended family or on a welfare subsistence program. Many of the external circumstances related to family, community, and employment responsibilities may have a substantial impact on inmates' reintegration and recidivism. Alternatives to short-term jail sentences for misdemeanor offenders include community work and educational programs, day fines, victim restitution, citations rather than jail sentences for more types of offenders, and more work-release programs for jail inmates. References