Imprisonment is the severest sanction that can be imposed in many Western countries. Imprisonment disrupts offenders’ lives as it cuts them off from family and friends, and generally ends employment and housing. After such upheaval, ex-prisoners typically have trouble reintegrating into society. While offending may carry stigma, this applies even more to incarceration, compounded by the fact that incarceration is much harder to hide. Imprisonment is also a costly sanction: societal costs are incurred not only through the prison-running costs (i.e. housing, food, staff) but also by the very disruption and damage to offenders’ societal functioning.