Estimating the Deterrent Effect of Incarceration Using Sentencing Enhancements

Abrams, David

doi:10.2139/ssrn.1819503

Cited by 34 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 47 publications

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“…Drago, Galbiati and Vertova () examine the relationship between harsh prison conditions (overcrowding, deaths, isolation) and reoffending and their results also suggest that harsher conditions increase post‐release crime. Abrams () finds that longer sentences are associated with more severe crimes upon release, further supporting a criminogenic effect of incarceration. To my knowledge, there are no similar studies looking at the influence of social or physical prison conditions on post‐release behaviour in Australia.…”

Section: Estimating the Causal Impact Of Incarcerationmentioning

confidence: 97%

Economics of Incarceration

Schnepel¹

2016

Australian Economic Review

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Incarceration rates have more than doubled in Australia over the past several decades, with a dramatic increase since 2010. There are many mechanisms by which these changes in imprisonment exert a causal influence on individual behaviour. The threat of incarceration can deter an individual from committing a crime. The experience of incarceration incapacitates a criminal but can also expose a prisoner to more criminal peers and reduce future legal employment opportunities. This article provides students an introduction to a rapidly expanding economics literature that empirically tests the mechanisms of incarceration and estimates its costs and benefits.

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Section: Estimating the Causal Impact Of Incarcerationmentioning

confidence: 97%

Economics of Incarceration

Schnepel¹

2016

Australian Economic Review

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“…Helland and Tabarrok (2007) found that increasing sentence duration by 10% in California reduced crime by 1%. Abrams (2012) evaluated the deterrent effect for crimes involving firearms in the most populous US cities between 1965 and 2002. This study estimated that armed robbery and assaults fell by an average of 5% during the first three years following additional sentencing (add-ons) for the use of a firearm.…”

Section: The Demographic Changesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Effect of Mass Incarceration on Criminality in Colombia

Flórez

2021

Int J for Crime, Justice & Social Democracy

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This study surveyed the literature on the expected and unexpected effects of incarceration before (deterrence), during (incapacitation), and after (after-effects) prison confinement occurs, through a selective search that favored the analysis of studies with an empirical focus in the national and comparative literature. Then, based on data provided by the National Penitentiary and Prison Institute (INPEC by its acronym in Spanish) and the National Police, the research evaluated the effect that mass incarceration for homicides, kidnappings, theft, and personal injuries had on Colombian criminality between 1994 and 2018 (a time in which the inmate population increased fourfold). The regression results suggested that incarceration decreased the number of homicides and kidnappings but increased theft and personal injuries. At the end, the article presents the theoretical developments that could explain those statistical results and makes recommendations for the strategic use of imprisonment and its deterrent potential in Colombia.

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Do Better Prisons Reduce Recidivism? Evidence from a Prison Construction Program

Tobón

2022

The Review of Economics and Statistics

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I study the effects of prison quality on recidivism using individual-level data from Colombia. To estimate causal effects, I leverage the quasi-random assignment of inmates to newer, less crowded, and higher service prisons. For inmates assigned to newer facilities, I find that the probability of returning to prison within one year is 36% lower. Criminal capital, access to rehabilitation programs, and negative prison experiences—which could trigger changes in intrinsic preferences over illegal occupations—seem to be important mechanisms. The program led to substantial welfare gains, even when assuming a low social cost per crime.

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Estimating the Deterrent Effect of Incarceration Using Sentencing Enhancements

Abstract: Increasing criminal sanctions may reduce crime through two primary mechanisms: deterrence and incapacitation. Disentangling their effects is crucial, since each mechanism has different implications for optimal policy setting.

Cited by 34 publications

References 47 publications

Economics of Incarceration

Economics of Incarceration

The Effect of Mass Incarceration on Criminality in Colombia

Do Better Prisons Reduce Recidivism? Evidence from a Prison Construction Program

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