This paper, from the Journal of Quantitative Criminology, begins by drawing on theories of ascription, stigma, and cumulative advantage/disadvantage as well as Pager’s concept of the criminal credential in order to introduce incarceration as an absorbing status.

The author continues by discussing the negative effects of incarceration and their reasons for expecting a link between incarceration and wealth. After describing their measures and methods, which include hybrid mixed effects models, the author presents findings showing that incarceration is associated with a reduced probability of home ownership and lower net worth.

Because they investigate change overtime and the potential mechanisms that contribute to incarceration’s relationship with wealth accumulation, a feat that few incarceration studies have accomplished, these findings also demonstrate how the negative effects of incarceration extend into this new area through multiple pathways