The effect of incarceration on political beliefs for vulnerable populations

Abstract Objective This article examines whether incarceration influences a change in political beliefs for those incarcerated and the extent to which it affects more vulnerable groups, including women and people of color. Method I use a series of logit models to analyze responses to the Marshall Project's 2020 prison survey. Results My analysis reveals a significant change in political beliefs since being incarcerated. There is an increased effect of changing political beliefs for women and people of color incarcerated. The effect reveals that people of color are becoming, either for the first time or further aligned, with the Republican Party since being incarcerated. Conclusion The experience of violence and abuse while incarcerated extends the tools of white supremacy in the prison system by influencing feelings of shame, hopelessness, and cultural inferiority, further aligning vulnerable groups to conservatism and whiteness. My Incapacitation theory begins to explain the change in political beliefs due to the carceral system's use of incapacitation and its long‐term effect on political behavior of incarcerated groups.