BCAD faculty affiliate Amy Lerman’s book about criminal sentencing’s impact on perceptions of political efficacy was featured in The Washington Post

Amy Lerman was quoted in The Washington Post:

The disenfranchisement of felons has been a hotly debated subject recently, in part because such states as Florida and Louisiana have made it easier for people with criminal convictions to vote after they finish their sentences.

Researchers, not to mention people who have spent time in jail or know someone who has, already know quite a bit about the harsh effects that even short jail sentences have on people. They cause job losses and other economic hardships, prompt evictions from houses and apartments, and place intense stress on family relationships, leading to divorce and other ruptures. Experiences like arrest or incarceration also affect how people view the government. The social scientists Amy Lerman and Vesla Weaver, for instance, have shown that people who have been arrested or incarcerated tend to believe that they would always be viewed by their government as criminals, not full citizens.

The full article is available here.

Original article

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