Back to Individuals who spend time in prison can experience devastating financial consequences at every turn.
They may struggle with the cost of posting bail, lose wages while incarcerated and watch debt snowball with legal fees and fines. The challenges build on each other through reentry, when people may need to secure employment and housing. In a survey of 573 people who had been in the U.S. justice system or had a household member who had been in prison, more than one in three said incarceration had a negative impact on household finances. The research was conducted by the Financial Health Network for its June 2021 Financial Health and Criminal Justice report.