Stigma is often cited as a mechanism driving the consequences of incarceration for formerly incarcerated people and their families. Few studies, however, provide quantitative evidence of the nature and strength of stigma stemming from direct and indirect interaction with jails. In this article, we use an experimental vignette design to make two contributions. First, we use two nonincarceration control groups that allow us to differentiate the stigma attached to incarceration relative to one condition that is not stigmatized (colorblindness) from another that is (drug addiction). Second, we test whether having a partner or family member who has been incarcerated in jail generates stigma. We find that having a formerly incarcerated relative negatively impacts perceptions of personality traits, financial deservingness, and parenting quality. We also show that the stigmatized control condition is comparable with the prior incarceration of a male relative, but more favorable than one’s own prior incarceration, indicating unique incarceration stigma. These findings have implications for our understanding of social inequality because they demonstrate how members of marginalized groups who are most likely to experience incarceration or have an incarcerated loved one continue to face informal social exclusion and the attendant consequences long after the formal punishment.

中文翻译：

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粘性污名：监禁对人格特征和应得性感知的影响

污名经常被认为是一种机制，会导致以前被监禁的人及其家人受到监禁的后果。然而，很少有研究提供定量证据来证明源自与监狱的直接和间接互动的污名的性质和强度。在本文中，我们使用一个实验性的小插图设计来做出两个贡献。首先，我们使用两个非监禁对照组，这使我们能够区分监禁所带来的污名，相对于一种非污名（色盲）和另一种情况（吸毒成瘾）。其次，我们测试了被监禁的伴侣或家庭成员是否会产生耻辱感。我们发现，有一个以前被监禁的亲戚会对人格特征、经济价值和养育质量的看法产生负面影响。我们还表明，污名化的控制条件与男性亲属的先前监禁相当，但比自己的先前监禁更有利，表明独特的监禁污名。这些发现对我们对社会不平等的理解具有重要意义，因为它们证明了最有可能被监禁或有被监禁的亲人的边缘化群体的成员如何在正式惩罚很久之后继续面临非正式的社会排斥以及随之而来的后果。