Incarceration and Its Effect on Political Beliefs

This paper investigates whether incarceration has an effect on political orientation, addressing the hypothesis that the experience of incarceration also shapes the political behavior and attitudes of those who have been confined (Manza, Uggen 2006; Clear 2007; Travis 2005). The primary aim of the research is to identify what role, if at all, the penal system plays in how incarcerated individuals think about politics. The data relied on to reach conclusions about the incarcerated population derives from voluntary responses to a survey implemented within a company that hires formerly and currently incarcerated persons. I find that the majority of the sample I surveyed became more politically liberal as a result of incarceration and a vast majority want to participate in the political process. These findings corroborate my hypotheses regarding the effects of incarceration on political beliefs, but contradict my assumption regarding the effect of social capital on their desire to participate in politics.