Being involved in the criminal justice system conveys a negative social status. In these communities, even though the experience of incarceration is widespread, it is still stigmatizing, and incarceration is not discussed openly. Residents noted that the label “offender” becomes a master status and affects the lives of ex-offenders in many ways. For instance, ex-offenders find it difficult to get good jobs and housing. Because their noncriminal neighbors and associates are often suspicious and wary of interacting with them, integrating into the community and networks that provide informal social control is often problematic. Stigma does not just affect individual offenders, however. Frequently, it also is transferred to the ex-offender’s family