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  4. October 2012
  5. Estimating the Deterrent Effect of Incarceration Using Sentencing Enhancements

American Economic Journal:
Applied Economics

ISSN 1945-7782 (Print) | ISSN 1945-7790 (Online)

Estimating the Deterrent Effect of Incarceration Using Sentencing Enhancements

  • David S. Abrams
American Economic Journal: Applied Economics
vol. 4, no. 4, October 2012
(pp. 32–56)
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Abstract

Increasing criminal sanctions may reduce crime through two primary mechanisms: deterrence and incapacitation. Disentangling their effects is crucial for optimal policy setting. I use sentence enhancements due to the introduction of state add-on gun laws to isolate the deterrent effect of incarceration. Using cross-state variation in the timing of law passage dates, I find that the average add-on gun law results in a roughly 5 percent decline in gun robberies within the first 3 years. This result is robust to a number of specification tests and does not appear to be associated with large spillovers to other types of crime. (JEL K14, K42)

Citation

Abrams, David S. 2012. "Estimating the Deterrent Effect of Incarceration Using Sentencing Enhancements." American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, 4 (4): 32–56. DOI: 10.1257/app.4.4.32

Additional Materials

JEL Classification

  • K14 Criminal Law
  • K42 Illegal Behavior and the Enforcement of Law
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