Prison Crowding, Recidivism, and Early Release in Early Rhode Island

Howard Bodenhorn

No 20837, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: Prison overcrowding is a perennial problem and several states are under court order to reduce crowding. The long-term solution to crowding has been more prisons. The short-term solution is early release. Early release programs can be effective when they balance the savings of reduced prison costs against the costs of recidivism by released convicts. This paper uses historical data to investigate how prison officials altered their early release policies in the face of prison crowding and rising real per prisoner detention costs. The empirical evidence is consistent with the hypothesis that prison officials make use of information about the risks of recidivism revealed at trial and during incarceration to make informed decisions about whom to release and when.

JEL-codes: K14 N00 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015-01
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-his and nep-law
Note: DAE
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Published as Bodenhorn, Howard, 2016. "Prison crowding, recidivism, and early release in early Rhode Island," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 55-74.

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Journal Article: Prison crowding, recidivism, and early release in early Rhode Island (2016)
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