Responses to More Severe Punishment in the Courtroom: Evidence from Truth-in-Sentencing Laws

Fusako Tsuchimoto and Libor Dusek
Authors registered in the RePEc Author Service: Fusako Tsuchimoto Menkyna

CERGE-EI Working Papers from The Center for Economic Research and Graduate Education - Economics Institute, Prague

Abstract: We investigate behavioral responses of judges and prosecutors to more severe punishments by analyzing the effects of Truth-in-Sentencing (TIS) laws in a large sample of individual criminal cases. The TIS laws raised effective punishment by requiring offenders to serve at least 85% of their imposed sentence in prison. Differences between the U.S. states in the timing of adoption and the types of crimes covered provide a source of identification. The key findings are: (1) The TIS laws reduced the probability that an arrested offender is eventually convicted by 25% through an increase in the probability that the case is dismissed, a reduction in the probability that the defendant pleads guilty, and a reduction in the probability that the defendant is convicted at trial. (2) The TIS laws the reduced the imposed sentence that a defendant may expect upon arrest by 14%. The behavioral responses are empirically important to partially mitigate the intended deterrent effect of the TIS laws.

Keywords: Criminal procedure; criminal law; sentencing; Truth-in-Sentencing laws. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: K00 K14 K41 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2009-12
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-law
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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