Incarceration Length, Employment, and Earnings

Working Paper: NBER ID: w12003

Authors: Jeffrey R. Kling

Abstract: This paper estimates effects of increases in incarceration length on employment and earnings prospects of individuals after their release from prison. I utilize a variety of research designs including controlling for observable factors and using instrumental variables for incarceration length based on randomly assigned judges with different sentencing propensities. The results show no consistent evidence of adverse labor market consequences of longer incarceration length using any of the analytical methods in either the state system in Florida or the federal system in California.

Keywords: No keywords provided

JEL Codes: J24; K42


Causal Claims Network Graph

Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.


Causal Claims

CauseEffect
Longer incarceration lengths (K14)Employment rates (J68)
Longer incarceration lengths (K14)Earnings (J31)
Longer incarceration lengths (K14)Labor market outcomes (J48)
Prison programs and reduced criminal opportunities (K14)Employment rates (J68)
Prison programs and reduced criminal opportunities (K14)Earnings (J31)

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