Comparing Apples to Oranges: Differences in Women’s and Men’s Incarceration and Sentencing Outcomes

Kristin Butcher, Kyung H. Park and Anne Piehl

No 23079, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: Using detailed administrative records, we find that, on average, women receive lighter sentences in comparison with men along both extensive and intensive margins. Using parametric and semi-parametric decomposition methods, roughly 30% of the gender differences in incarceration cannot be explained by the observed criminal characteristics of offense and offender. We also find evidence of considerable heterogeneity across judges in their treatment of female and male offenders. There is little evidence, however, that tastes for gender discrimination are driving the mean gender disparity or the variance in treatment between judges.

JEL-codes: J16 K14 K42 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017-01
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-dem, nep-gen and nep-law
Note: LE LS
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

Published as Kristin F. Butcher & Kyung H. Park & Anne Morrison Piehl, 2017. "Comparing Apples to Oranges: Differences in Women’s and Men’s Incarceration and Sentencing Outcomes," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 35(S1), pages 201-234.

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