Locked out and Locked up: Assessing the Relationship between Housing Instability and Recidivism for People with Criminal Drug Records

Background and Purpose:

            In 2017 over 1.6 million Americans were arrested for a drug offense and millions of others have been arrested for drug offenses since the early 1970's. Regardless of whether one is convicted, after an arrest for a drug offense people are subject to civil penalties known as collateral sanctions or consequences. These sanctions include restrictions on housing, financial benefits, student loans, employment, and important aspects of civic life such as voting or holding office. Due to recent recidivism rates over 75% for people exiting prison with criminal drug records, researchers and policymakers have expressed concern about a connection between collateral sanctions and recidivism for people with criminal drug records (PCDR).

            Research suggests that access to housing is frequently cited as one of the biggest concerns of people exiting prison and that it plays a protective role against problematic drug use, criminal behavior, and recidivism in general. Yet little is known about the specific experiences of PCDR or if these relationships apply for this population. Given that PCDR face restrictions to public housing along with legal discrimination in market-based housing, knowing more about how housing impacts outcomes like recidivism for this population is crucial.

Methods:        

            Using data from the Fragile Families Study, this research incorporates both OLS regression models and complex path models to provide a robust test of the relationship between housing instability and recidivism for PCDR. The models also include variables based on a General Strain Theory (GST) framework which allows for an examination of the applicability of GST to criminal behavior among PCDR and the incorporation of control variables found to be criminogenic in previous research. Housing instability is measured as the number of moves in the previous 12 months. Recidivism is measured both formally in the form of self-reported charges or convictions after a drug offense and as any recidivist behavior, which includes new charges and convictions along with any other self-reported criminal behavior.

Results:

            Results indicate that housing instability is associated with formal recidivism for PCDR. There is some evidence that supports the use of GST as a guiding framework for better understanding the experiences of PCDR, as informal social control – in the form of employment, education, volunteerism, and supportive personal relationships – is associated with a decrease in formal recidivism.

Implications:

            Results suggest that current policy efforts aimed at reducing overall barriers to housing and employment opportunities for people with criminal histories should be beneficial to PCDR as well. Also, that the multitude of collateral sanctions/consequences that limit the ability of PCDR to participate fully in society may be counterproductive and possibly based on bad faith assumptions or politics. Suggestions for future research concerning PCDR, and the general proliferation of collateral sanctions/consequences at the both the individual and policy levels are considered.