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Project Citation: 

Abrams, David S. Replication data for: Estimating the Deterrent Effect of Incarceration Using Sentencing Enhancements. Nashville, TN: American Economic Association [publisher], 2012. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2019-10-12. https://doi.org/10.3886/E113838V1

Project Description

Summary:  View help for Summary 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)

Scope of Project

JEL Classification:  View help for JEL Classification
      K14 Criminal Law
      K42 Illegal Behavior and the Enforcement of Law


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