Prison, reentry and recidivism : micro-econometric applications.

Summary This doctoral dissertation explores the links between prison, reintegration, and recidivism. Each of the four chapters contributes to the growing field of the economics of crime, applying various econometric methods on French data to answer key questions for public policy.Chapter 1 explores the dynamics of recidivism risk after release from prison. This article is the first to document the shape of the recidivism hazard over time in France (a rapidly decreasing function) and to explore the major individual determinants that explain the level and dynamics of risk over time.Chapter 2 studies the causal effect of sentence reductions on recidivism. This article is the first to explicitly consider the critical role of inmate expectations and adaptation. By exploiting the French collective pardon of July 1996 as a natural experiment, the results support the importance of the concrete design of sentence reductions. Chapter 3 proposes the first evaluation of the causal effects of a major penal policy in France, the introduction of Electronically Supervised Placement (ESP) as an alternative to short firm prison sentences. Using the progressive implementation of EPS in French courts, the article finds significant beneficial effects of EPS on recidivism, compared to incarceration. Finally, Chapter 4 measures the deterrent effect of a more or less rapid incarceration on future delinquency. This article is the first to estimate the very beneficial effects of using fast-track procedures to prevent recidivism after release.