Prison Conditions and Recidivism

Drago, Francesco; Galbiati, Roberto; Vertova, Pietro

doi:10.1093/aler/ahq024

Cited by 113 publications

(68 citation statements)

References 26 publications

(32 reference statements)

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“…Similarly, when we focus on short-term prisons (Maisons d'Arrêt), differences remain modest. Based on the small existing elasticities of recidivism with respect to prison overcrowding (Drago et al, 2011), we do not expect such small differences to affect our EM treatment effects. In addition, note that overcrowding in early-adopter courts was very close to late-adopter courts on January 2002 (when EM was legalized in all courts), suggesting that courts which adopted EM rapidly did not face any particular problem of overcrowding compared to other French courts.…”

Section: Recipientsmentioning

confidence: 93%

Better at Home than in Prison? The Effects of Electronic Monitoring on Recidivism in France

2016

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Many countries have recently adopted electronic monitoring (EM) as an alternative sentence in order to reduce incarceration while maintaining public safety. However, the empirical evidence on the effects of EM on recidivism (relative to prison) is very scarce worldwide. In this paper, we adress this debated question using quasi-experimental data from France. Our empirical strategy exploits the incremental roll-in of electronic monitoring in France, which started as a local experiment in four courts in 2000-2001, and was later adopted by more and more courts (2002)(2003). Our IV estimates show that fully converting prison sentences into electronic monitoring has long-lasting beneficial effects on recidivism, with estimated reductions in probability of reconviction of 6-7 percentage points (9-11%) after five years. There is also evidence that, in case of recidivism, EM leads to less serious offenses compared to prison. These beneficial effects are particularly strong on electronically monitored offenders who received control visits at home from correctional officers, were obliged to work while under EM, and had already experienced prison before. This pattern suggests that both rehabilitation and deterrence are important factors in reducing long-term recidivism, and that electronic monitoring can be a very costeffective alternative to short prison sentences. However, the massive development of EM in France in recent years, with shorter and less intensive supervision, may reduce its effectiveness. AbstractMany countries have recently adopted electronic monitoring (EM) as an alternative sentence in order to reduce incarceration while maintaining public safety. However, the empirical evidence on the effects of EM on recidivism (relative to prison) is very scarce worldwide. In this paper, we adress this debated question using quasi-experimental data from France. Our empirical strategy exploits the incremental roll-in of electronic monitoring in France, which started as a local experiment in four courts in 2000-2001, and was later adopted by more and more courts (2002)(2003). Our IV estimates show that fully converting prison sentences into electronic monitoring has long-lasting beneficial effects on recidivism, with estimated reductions in probability of reconviction of 6-7 percentage points (9-11%) after five years. There is also evidence that, in case of recidivism, EM leads to less serious offenses compared to prison. These beneficial effects are particularly strong on electronically monitored offenders who received control visits at home from correctional officers, were obliged to work while under EM, and had already experienced prison before. This pattern suggests that both rehabilitation and deterrence are important factors in reducing long-term recidivism, and that electronic monitoring can be a very cost-effective alternative to short prison sentences. However, the massive development of EM in France in recent years, with shorter and less intensive supervision, may reduce its effectiveness. JEL: K42

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Section: Recipientsmentioning

confidence: 93%

Better at Home than in Prison? The Effects of Electronic Monitoring on Recidivism in France

2016

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“…Nevertheless, multiple studies find some evidence of a deterrence effect from an increased probability of offender incarceration, often exploiting sentencing enhancements to identify the effect (Abrams 2012;Drago, Galbiati, and Vertova 2009;Hansen 2015;Helland and Tabarrok 2007;Kessler and Levitt 1999). Moreover, some research finds that greater punishment severity through harsher prison conditions may actually increase crime (recidivism) rather than reduce it (Chen and Shapiro 2007;Drago, Galbiati, and Vertova 2011).…”

Section: Conceptual Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This higher opportunity cost of legal consumption operates through the decrease in punishment severity (and associated changes in offender criminal history) ultimately increasing legal wage offers. As a result, in the long run, lower punishment severity could deter crime rather than escalate it, analogous to Chen and Shapiro (2007) and Drago, Galbiati, and Vertova (2011). Thus, it remains an empirical question to examine how an increase in the felony larceny threshold will affect outcomes of interest: the stolen value per larceny incident, the larceny incident rate in an area, and the probability of a larceny incident in an area.…”

Section: Conceptual Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

Punishment and Crime: The Impact of Felony Conviction on Criminal Activity

Jackson¹

2020

Federal Reserve Bank of Boston Research Department Working Papers

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This paper uses increases in felony larceny thresholds as a negative shock to felony conviction probability to examine the impact of punishment severity on criminal behavior. In the theft value distribution between old and new larceny thresholds ("response region"), higher thresholds cause a 2 percent increase in the average larceny value within 120 days of enactment. However, within five years of enactment, response region average larceny values and rates decline 2 percent and 13 percent, respectively, in low-wage areas. Thus, under certain market conditions, smaller expected penalties may reduce incentives and deter crime in the long run. JEL Classifications: K14, K42, J22

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“…Chen and Shapiro () look at exogenous variation in assignment to varying security levels within a prison––which will affect social networks as well as the physical conditions and access to rehabilitation programs––and obtain estimates which suggest that harsher prison conditions increase post‐release crime . 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.…”

Section: Estimating the Causal Impact Of Incarcerationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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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Prison Conditions and Recidivism

Cited by 113 publications

References 26 publications

Better at Home than in Prison? The Effects of Electronic Monitoring on Recidivism in France

Better at Home than in Prison? The Effects of Electronic Monitoring on Recidivism in France

Punishment and Crime: The Impact of Felony Conviction on Criminal Activity

Economics of Incarceration

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