Structural discrimination and social stigma among individuals incarcerated for sexual offenses: Reentry across the rural–urban continuum

Abstract

The stigma associated with a felony conviction can impede the reentry process, and emerging research findings indicate that one's community can amplify or temper the mark of a criminal record. Researchers examining criminal stigma have focused on individuals living in urban areas, overlooking the experiences of persons outside these communities. Using qualitative data collected from a sample of men and women paroled for sexual offenses in Missouri, we contrast how social and structural stigma alter the reentry experiences for participants living in communities along the rural and urban continuum. The results show that the stigma of a sex offense conviction was a near‐universal experience and residence restrictions stymied efforts to find housing. Residents of urban areas and some large cities felt that the community offered relative anonymity from stigma but the stress of their status being discovered was omnipresent. Participants in rural areas and small cities had less social privacy and reported being shunned in the community, although strong social ties did mitigate some of the consequences of stigma. The results highlight the importance of considering place when studying reentry and have implications for designing correctional policies to address the needs of residents returning to non–metropolitan locations.

Access to Health Care and Treatment Among Individuals Convicted of Sexual Offenses Paroled to Urban and Rural Communities

“…Data for this study were obtained through in-depth interviews with 62 people including 59 men and three women ( n = 3) on parole for a sexual offense in Missouri. 1 Data were collected in 2010, as part of a broader study on reentry transitions among individuals convicted of sexual offenses (Huebner et al, 2019). Individuals convicted of a sexual offense are subject to numerous restrictions and requirements.…”

“…Furthermore, persons convicted of a sex offense face tremendous stigma and are subject to unique legal controls (Huebner et al, 2019). Most prominent, in some states, individuals who are convicted of a sexual offense are subject to residency restrictions, which limit where one can live and work (Huebner et al, 2014; Savage & Windsor, 2018; Socia, 2011).…”

“…These same communities often have a dearth of treatment services available (Burchfield & Mingus, 2014). Less is known about the nature of the communities that individuals return to in rural areas, but there is evidence to suggest that individuals are often forced out of urban areas because of residence restrictions (Huebner et al, 2019).…”

“…Individuals with a sex offense conviction are a unique analytic case as participation in cognitive-behavioral treatment is often a condition of parole (kras et al, 2018;Savage & Windsor, 2018). Furthermore, persons convicted of a sex offense face considerable stigma and have low social status (Huebner et al, 2019), an important correlate of negative health outcomes (Marmot, 2004). Understanding the barriers to health care and rehabilitative services has the potential to benefit individual and community health and may help people comply with mandated programming, which has been associated with reduced rates of recidivism and long-term success (kim et al, 2016;Schmucker & Lösel, 2017).…”

Twice Punished: Perceived Procedural Fairness and Legitimacy of Monetary Sanctions

“…People convicted of a sexual offense typically face additional restrictions and sanctions, which often come with requisite costs (Huebner et al, 2019;Pleggenkuhle, 2018). Individuals convicted of sexual offenses felt that they paid a larger literal and figurative price for supervision.…”