NCJ Number
99560
Date Published
1984
Length
426 pages
Annotation
In applying economic theory and econometric methods to various problems in criminology, this book considers statistical analyses of recidivism, the testing of the economic model of crime, and the use of production and cost theory in criminal justice research.
Abstract
Chapters focusing on the statistical analyses of recidivism consider the analysis of qualitative outcomes (recidivism or nonrecidivism), analysis of two measures of recidivism (crime type and crime severity), and the analysis of a censored or truncated variable (one observed over only part of its range). Other chapters on recidivism analyses describe analyses of survival time (until an offense occurs) and the evaluation of a correctional program. Chapters in the second major section of the book discuss the economic model of crime. This model is surveyed from a theoretical perspective, and the model is tested by analyzing two measures of criminal activity (arrest rate and conviction rate). The nature of the labor market for prison releasees is investigated, and the wage and arrest rates are simultaneously determined. The third major section of the book estimates cost functions for prisons. This includes a survey of the economic theory of cost and production and a discussion of the problem of suitably defining the inputs and outputs of a prison. Short-run cost functions are estimated for Federal and California prisons, along with a long-term cost function for a group of Federal correctional institutions. Conclusions are summarized in the final chapter. Appendixes describe the data sets used in the analyses. Approximately 200 references are listed, and a subject index is provided.