The Impact of Jail: Collateral Costs and Affective Response.

Abstract Aside from restrictions on freedom, confinement in jail carries with it a variety of collateral consequences which may include the loss of employment and the disruption of family life. This study examines the collateral costs of incarceration for jail inmates and focuses on variables that increase or decrease those costs. The relationship between the costs of confinement and the affective responses of inmates to incarceration is also examined. The data indicate that collateral costs can be extensive and are unrelated to legal status, prior criminal history, time in jail, or the resources available to the inmate at the time of his arrest. However, collateral costs are exacerbated by preexisting problems. In addition, collateral costs have a significant influence on adjustment to the jail environment.