Taking Roll: College Students' Views of Their Formerly Incarcerated Classmates

For those with a criminal history, higher education can facilitate successful reentry and desistance from crime. Still, a number of obstacles discourage the pursuit of higher education by the formerly incarcerated. One such obstacle is the prevalence of stigmatization and discrimination toward those with criminal justice system involvement on college campuses. Nonetheless, there is a lack of research on how college students conceive of their formerly incarcerated counterparts, leaving those with a criminal history to wonder about the prejudices and biases they may encounter once enrolled. Drawing on a random sample of 185 respondents, this study explores the attitudes of undergraduate students toward their formerly incarcerated classmates. Findings reveal that students who have had frequent, close contact with the formerly incarcerated are more likely to express favorable views of that population, supporting prior research suggesting that proximity can mitigate negative views of stigmatized populations.