Prisons, recidivism and the age–crime profile

Anna Bindler and Randi Hjalmarsson

Economics Letters, 2017, vol. 152, issue C, 46-49

Abstract: This paper provides a descriptive analysis of the economic and non-economic channels that led to a U-shaped trend in the average age of male convicts in 19th century London using detailed data from the Old Bailey central criminal court. In addition to discussing industrialization and changing attitudes towards juveniles as potential mechanisms underlying the initial decrease and subsequent increase in criminal age, we put forth a new explanation of the latter. Did the abolition of capital punishment and penal transportation, which led to the rise of the modern day prison system and the emergence of recidivism, lead to a mechanical increase in the average age of criminals?

Keywords: Age–crime profile; Industrial revolution; Prison; Punishment; Recidivism (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J10 K14 K40 N33 N43 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (15)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ecolet:v:152:y:2017:i:c:p:46-49

DOI: 10.1016/j.econlet.2017.01.002

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