Mass Incarceration
This term describes the sharp increase in US imprisonment beginning in the late 20th century
Mass incarceration
These financial consequences include reduced lifetime earnings, job barriers, and lost tax revenue
Economic harms
Reducing poverty, improving mental health treatment, and addressing substance use target these underlying contributors to crime
Root causes
This emotional harm can occur when victims feel retraumatized by police, courts, or cross-examination
Secondary victimization
This economic consequence describes the drop in wages and employment opportunities for people after release from prison
Reduced lifetime earnings
This 1980s-1990s federal campaign, known for mandatory minimums, drove prison populations upward
War on Drugs
Children of incarcerated parents often experience this type of emotional fallout
Trauma and relationship disruption
These programs aim to repair through dialogue between victims and offenders
Restorative justice programs
This government-provided support helps victims pay for medical bills, counseling, or funeral costs after a crime
Victim compensation
This framework studies who becomes a victim and how the justice system treats them
Victimology
These harsh sentencing policies, including "three-strikes" contributed to swelling prison populations
Mandatory minimums
People who have been incarcerated face restricted access to voting, housing, education, and employment, a condition called:
Civic and social exclusion
This reform movement aims to reduce reliance on incarceration while creating fairer court processes
Sentencing and bail reform
This legal requirement of Nassar's plea forced him to acknowledge assaulting numerous girls
Admitting to multiple counts in his plea deal
These groups--young people, women, immigrants, and racial minorities--face high rates of victimization but low rates of...
reporting to the police
Despite popular belief, there is little evidence that longer sentences have this effect on crime
Deterrence
People in prison experience this process more rapidly, leading to worse long-term health
accelerated aging
This type of justice focuses on healing rather than punishment
Restorative justice
This judge delivered the famous line, "I just signed your death warrant"
Judge Rosemarie Aquilina
This restorative practice allows victim and offenders to meet and discuss harm in a structured setting
Victim-Offender Reconciliation Program
This phenomenon occurs when incarceration increases the likelihood of reoffending
Recidivism
Communities of color face generational trauma from concentrated incarceration, largely driven by this social force
Systemic racism
These services support individuals leaving prison as they reenter a drastically changed society
Reentry program
This concept refers to diminishing safety benefits as incarceration rates climb
Diminishing returns to public safety
These panels, often used in DUI sentencing, let offenders hear directly from victims about the consequences of their actions
Victim-impact panels