Jennifer Doleac | Econofact

Coronavirus

Incarceration and the COVID-19 Crisis

May 20, 2020

The Issue:

The novel coronavirus outbreak has focused attention on the potential for disease transmission in prisons and jails. Prisons and jails present significant challenges to containing disease outbreak. Many called for immediate reductions in prison and jail populations in order to protect the health of inmates,

Crime and Criminal Justice

Can Employment-Focused Programs Reduce Reincarceration Rates?

June 29, 2018

The Issue:

Two-thirds of those released from prison are arrested again within three years. Breaking this incarceration cycle is a top policy priority, but it is unclear which programs are effective at achieving this goal. Those who are employed are less likely to reoffend, and this correlation has led many to think

Crime and Criminal Justice

Do Police Body-Worn Cameras Reduce the Use of Force?

November 17, 2017

The Issue:

Public outrage following several high profile police shootings captured on cell phone videos led police departments across the nation to equip officers with body cameras. The policy aimed to improve transparency and accountability, in the hopes of reducing the use of force by police officers and thereby ...
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Labor Markets

The Effects of ‘Ban the Box’ on the Employment of Black Men

June 9, 2017

The Issue:

Ban the Box is a popular policy that prevents employers from asking about someone’s criminal record until late in the job application process — giving applicants an opportunity to explain their qualifications first. The policy aims to increase employment for people with criminal records, in the hopes ...
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Immigration Policy

Are Immigrants More Likely to Commit Crimes?

February 14, 2017

The Issue:

One concern about immigration is whether immigrants are more prone to commit crimes than the native born population. This concern is not unique to the United States; it has affected policy in Europe, as a flood of immigrants has fled turmoil and war in the Middle East. But in the U.S. the issue took ...
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