Dynamics of Social Capital of Prisoners and Community Reentry: Ties That Bind?

This paper focuses on the social capital of prisoners and the impact of criminal behavior and incarceration on its formation and mobilization. Emphasis is on the time-varying nature of four attributes of social capital: the strength of connections, the ability to mobilize them, the endowment of resources within these relationships, and their social context. The incarceration experience has the potential to alter the attributes of social capital in ways that reduce its ability to improve health and justice outcomes. To offset this effect, an investment strategy is recommended that could have a positive impact on the prisoner's social capital and prospects for successful reentry.