Decades of policies promoting mass incarceration in the United States have exacted a devastating toll across the country: Today, an estimated one in three Americans has a criminal record.
A criminal record can serve as a permanent barrier to economic security. People with criminal records face persistent challenges accessing essential services, such as housing, education, food assistance, and employment. People of color – who, because of targeted policies, racial and ethnic bias, and other structural disadvantages – are more likely to have a criminal record, and even more likely to face barriers to these services.
The above excerpt was originally published in Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity.
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