The detriment of incarceration experienced by the formerly incarcerated has been increasingly explored in the literature on reentry. A tangential but equally concerning issue that has recently received more research attention is the effect on family members of the incarcerated. The stigma of a criminal conviction is most apparent among families of convicted sex offenders, who experience consequences parallel to those of their convicted relative. Drawing from interviews with 30 individuals with a family member incarcerated for a sex offence in the United States, this study explores manifestations of stigma due to familial association. The findings suggest that families face negative treatment from social networks and criminal justice officials, engage in self-blame and that the media’s control over the narrative exacerbates family members’ experiences. Given the pervasiveness of criminal justice system contact, the rapid growth of the sex offender registry in the United States, and the millions of family members peripherally affected by one or both, justice system reforms are needed to ensure that family members are shielded from the harms of incarceration and registration.

关于再入狱的文献越来越多地探讨了以前被监禁者所经历的监禁的危害。最近受到更多研究关注的一个重要但同样重要的问题是对被监禁者家庭成员的影响。刑事定罪的耻辱在被定罪的性犯罪者的家庭中最为明显，他们经历的后果与其被定罪的亲属的后果相似。本研究通过对 30 名家庭成员在美国因性犯罪而被监禁的人的采访，探讨了由于家庭联系而造成的污名化表现。调查结果表明，家庭面临来自社交网络和刑事司法官员的负面对待，进行自责，媒体对叙事的控制加剧了家庭成员的经历。鉴于刑事司法系统联系的普遍性、美国性犯罪者登记处的快速增长以及数百万家庭成员受到其中之一或两者的外围影响，需要司法系统改革以确保家庭成员免受伤害监禁和登记。