Swift Certain Fair Resource Center

  • Programs
  • SCF Evaluations
  • Newsroom
  • About
Home
|
Newsroom
|
Using a Natural Experiment to Measure the Impact of Swifter Punishment on Criminal Recidivism
Posted on November 24, 2020 by Kelly Smith

Using a Natural Experiment to Measure the Impact of Swifter Punishment on Criminal Recidivism

Objectives: Measure the impact of swifter punishment on the timing of first imprisonment and on criminal recidivism among young violent offenders.
Methods: A policy reform in 1994 promoted swifter case processing for violent offenders in Denmark. I exploit Danish administrative data and this policy reform as a natural experiment to measure the impact of swifter punishment on the timing of first imprisonment and on criminal recidivism among young men before and after the reform (N = 521).
Results: The reform promoted faster case processes and thereby also affected the timing of first imprisonment. It also led to more criminal recidivism, both regarding the probability of new charges and the average number of new charges.
Conclusions: When imprisonment happens matters for youth recidivism, a conclusion that has implications for our understanding of the relationship between deterrence and the timing of punishment. Implications of the study are limited by its historical and cultural context, and future research should validate the findings in other and more recent contexts.

Posted in Newsroom
How Offender Decision-Making Can Inform Policing: A Focus on the Perceived Certainty of Apprehension
Policing Repeat Domestic Violence: Would Focused Deterrence Work in Australia?

SIGN UP FOR UPDATES

Keep up with the latest from the Swift Certain Fair Resource Center. Subscribe to our newsletter.

Find us

Swift Certain Fair Resource Center New York University 370 Jay Street, 12th Floor Brooklyn, NY 11201 Telephone: (646) 308-0508

E-mail: info@scfcenter.org

New York University Marron Institute of Urban Management
Web Site Notice of Federal Funding and Disclaimer:
This Web site is funded in whole or in part through a grant from the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. Neither the U.S. Department of Justice nor any of its components operate, control, are responsible for, or necessarily endorse, this Web site (including, without limitation, its content, technical infrastructure, and policies, and any services or tools provided). SCFCenter.org - Copyright © 2023. All rights reserved.