In this Politico Magazine article, the author highlights that thousands of state and federal laws and regulations make it almost impossible for people who were formerly incarcerated to fully reintegrate into civilian life, "trapping these individuals in a state of quasi-citizenship that makes it more likely they will be sent back to prison." As a result, the author argues, people with felony records are effectively imprisoned, but in their home communities, even after they have served their sentences, and long after they finish probation or parole.

In the article, shares the stories of three individuals whose lives have been impacted by collateral consequences in the U.S. and explores the obstacles that society places in the paths of people who are trying to reintegrate successfully.