Doctoral Dissertation Research:'Residential Mobility Following Incarceration'

Doctoral Dissertation Research: Residential Mobility Following Incarceration

Principal Investigator: Glenn Firebaugh (Pennsylvania State University)

Co-Principal Investigator: Cody Warner (Pennsylvania State University)

Abstract

Each year, over 700,000 convicted offenders are released from prison and enter cities and towns across the country. Although existing research has shown that where they settle has important implications for their chances of successful reentry, little is known about how released offenders come to reside in certain neighborhoods. The proposed research will utilize restricted social survey data that contains both residential and incarceration histories to examine the impact of incarceration on the sorting of individuals into neighborhoods of varying quality. As such, the study will examine (1) how incarceration impacts residential mobility decisions, (2) the types of neighborhoods individuals move to after prison, and (3) if ex-inmate neighborhood location adversely impacts individual well-being. Given the scope of prisoner reentry, the results of the proposed study will provide important knowledge about the role incarceration plays in shaping residential outcomes. The findings will also suggest avenues through which policymakers can enact effective legislation that promotes residential stability in hopes of reducing recidivism rates.