Institutions and incarceration: The role of economic freedom at the MSA level

John Dove and Laura R. Dove

Social Science Quarterly, 2023, vol. 104, issue 4, 436-463

Abstract: Objective We evaluate the relationship between economic freedom and incarceration at the U.S. metropolitan statistical area level. Method We use economic freedom data at the metropolitan statistical area unit and local incarceration data from the Vera Institute in 5‐year intervals from 1977 through 2017. Results Our evidence suggests that greater economic freedom is associated with lower rates of incarceration in jails for the overall population. The channel tends to be through both the first and second economic freedom components (“size of government” and “taxation,” respectively). Finally, the results for juvenile incarcerated populations are largely driven by labor market freedoms. Conclusion To the extent that reducing incarceration rates continue to be viewed as a positive outcome in line with recent trends, this study suggests that promoting laws and policies aimed at enhancing economic freedom could be an avenue to advancing that goal. For proponents, this policy implication has the rare advantage of bipartisan appeal.

Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://doi.org/10.1111/ssqu.13263

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:bla:socsci:v:104:y:2023:i:4:p:436-463

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.blackwell ... bs.asp?ref=0038-4941

Access Statistics for this article

Social Science Quarterly is currently edited by Robert L. Lineberry

More articles in Social Science Quarterly from Southwestern Social Science Association
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Wiley Content Delivery ().