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On Probation. An Experimental Analysis

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Author Info

  • Christoph Engel

    () (Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods, Bonn)

  • Heike Hennig-Schmidt

    (University of Bonn, Dept. of Economics)

  • Bernd Irlenbusch

    (London School of Economics and Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods)

  • Sebastian Kube

    (University of Bonn, Dept. of Economics and Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods, Bonn)

Abstract

Does probation pay a double dividend? Society saves the cost of incarceration, and convicts preserve their liberty. But does probation also reduce the risk of recidivism? In a meta-study we show that the field evidence is inconclusive. Moreover it struggles with an identification problem: those put on probation are less likely to recidivate in the first place. We therefore complement the field evidence by a lab experiment that isolates the definitional feature of probation: the first sanction is conditional on being sanctioned again during the probation period. We find that probationers contribute less to a joint project; punishment cost is higher; efficiency is lower; inequity is higher. While experimental subjects are on probation, they increase their contributions to a joint project. However, once the probation period expires, they reduce their contributions. While in the aggregate these two effects almost cancel out, critically those not punished themselves do trust the institution less if punishment does not become effective immediately.

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Bibliographic Info

Paper provided by Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods in its series Working Paper Series of the Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods with number 2009_38.

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Date of creation: Nov 2009
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Handle: RePEc:mpg:wpaper:2009_38

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Keywords: probation; recidivism; public goods; punishment; experimental economics;

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References

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  1. Uri Gneezy & Aldo Rustichini, 2000. "A fine is a price," Natural Field Experiments 00258, The Field Experiments Website.
  2. Ernst Fehr & Simon Gaechter, 1999. "Cooperation and Punishment in Public Goods Experiments," CESifo Working Paper Series 183, CESifo Group Munich.
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  8. Cohen, Ben-Zion & Eden, Ruth & Lazar, Amnon, 1991. "The efficacy of probation versus imprisonment in reducing recidivism of serious offenders in Israel," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 19(3), pages 263-270.
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Cited by:
  1. Bruno S. Frey, 2009. "Punishment ? and beyond," CREMA Working Paper Series 2009-14, Center for Research in Economics, Management and the Arts (CREMA).
  2. Bruno S. Frey, 2011. "Punishment – and Beyond," Contemporary Economics, University of Finance and Management in Warsaw, vol. 5(2), June.

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