Working Paper: NBER ID: w29150
Authors: Yotam Shemtov; Steven Raphael; Alissa Skog
Abstract: This paper studies the effect of a restorative justice intervention targeted at youth ages 13 to 17 facing felony charges of medium severity (e.g., burglary, assault). Eligible youths were randomly assigned to participate in the Make-it-Right (MIR) restorative justice program or a control group where they faced standard criminal prosecution. We estimate the effects of MIR on the likelihood that a youth will be rearrested in the four years following randomization. Assignment to MIR reduces the probability of a rearrest within six months by 19 percentage points, a 44 percent reduction relative to the control group. Moreover, the reduction in recidivism persists even four years after randomization. Thus, our estimates show that restorative justice conferencing can reduce recidivism among youth charged with relatively serious offenses and can be an effective alternative to traditional criminal justice practices.
Keywords: Restorative Justice; Recidivism; Youth Crime; Criminal Justice Reform
JEL Codes: J18; K14; K42
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| fostering empathy and dialogue during restorative justice conferences (I24) | recidivism (K14) |
| assignment to the MIR program (C78) | likelihood of rearrest (K14) |
| assignment to the MIR program (C78) | recidivism (K14) |
| assignment to the MIR program (C78) | felony convictions (K14) |
| MIR program design and implementation (C88) | meaningful comparison with control group (C90) |