Local labour markets and criminal recidivism

A-Tier
Journal: Economic Journal
Year: 2021
Volume: 131
Issue: 633
Pages: 247-270

Authors (3)

Roberto Galbiati (Sciences Po) Aurélie Ouss (not in RePEc) Arnaud Philippe (not in RePEc)

Score contribution per author:

1.341 = (α=2.01 / 3 authors) × 2.0x A-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

We study how local labour market conditions and information about job availability affect recidivism after incarceration. We exploit daily variations in the quality of the labour market at the time of release from prison. We combine individual-level administrative data on former inmates in France to county-level daily data on new job vacancies, and on newspaper coverage of job creation and destruction. Our analysis provides two new findings. First, media coverage of job creation reduces recidivism, suggesting that policies promoting access to information about employment opportunities can contribute to reducing recidivism. Second, we show that there is heterogeneity in what kinds of jobs affect recidivism: in France, former inmates do not respond to overall job creation, but better opportunities in manufacturing jobs at release reduce recidivism rates.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:oup:econjl:v:131:y:2021:i:633:p:247-270.
Journal Field
General
Author Count
3
Added to Database
2026-01-25