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The Effects of Incarceration on Employment and Wages An Analysis of the Fragile Families Survey

Author

Listed:
  • Amanda Geller

    (Columbia University)

  • Irwin Garfinkel

    (Columbia University)

  • Bruce Western

    (Princeton University)

Abstract

We examine the effects of incarceration on the earnings and employment in a sample of poor fathers, using data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study. The Fragile Families data offer a rich set of covariates for adjusting for factors that are correlated with both incarceration and earnings. Because the survey obtains data from male respondents and their female partners, we are also able to measure incarceration more completely than with self-report data alone. Regression and propensity score analysis indicates that the employment rates of formerlyincarcerated men are about 6 percentage points lower than for similar men who have not been incarcerated. Incarceration is associated with a 14 to 26 percent decline in hourly wages. We examine also provide a sensitivity analysis that shows how results might vary in the presence of omitted variables.

Suggested Citation

  • Amanda Geller & Irwin Garfinkel & Bruce Western, 2006. "The Effects of Incarceration on Employment and Wages An Analysis of the Fragile Families Survey," Working Papers 932, Princeton University, School of Public and International Affairs, Center for Research on Child Wellbeing..
    • Handle: RePEc:pri:crcwel:wp06-01-ff.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Myers, Samuel L, Jr, 1980. "The Rehabilitation Effect of Punishment," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 18(3), pages 353-366, July.
    2. Bruce Western & Jeffrey R. Kling & David F. Weiman, 2001. "The Labor Market Consequences of Incarceration," Working Papers 829, Princeton University, Department of Economics, Industrial Relations Section..
    3. Jeffrey Grogger, 1995. "The Effect of Arrests on the Employment and Earnings of Young Men," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 110(1), pages 51-71.
    4. Jacob Mincer, 1962. "On-the-Job Training: Costs, Returns, and Some Implications," NBER Chapters, in: Investment in Human Beings, pages 50-79, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    5. Jeffrey R. Kling, 2006. "Incarceration Length, Employment, and Earnings," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 96(3), pages 863-876, June.
    6. Jeffrey R. Kling & David Weiman & Bruce Western, 2001. "The Labor Market Consequences of Incarceration," Working Papers 829, Princeton University, Department of Economics, Industrial Relations Section..
    7. Samuel L. Myers, 1983. "Estimating the Economic Model of Crime: Employment Versus Punishment Effects," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 98(1), pages 157-166.
    8. Richard B. Freeman, 1991. "Crime and the Employment of Disadvantaged Youths," NBER Working Papers 3875, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    9. Joel Waldfogel, 1994. "The Effect of Criminal Conviction on Income and the Trust "Reposed in the Workmen"," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 29(1), pages 62-81.
    10. George A. Akerlof, 1970. "The Market for "Lemons": Quality Uncertainty and the Market Mechanism," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 84(3), pages 488-500.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Sara McLanahan, 2008. "Fragile Families and the Reproduction of Poverty," Working Papers 1016, Princeton University, School of Public and International Affairs, Center for Research on Child Wellbeing..
    2. Hope Corman & Kelly Noonan & Nancy E. Reichman & Ofira Schwartz-Soicher, 2006. "Crime and Circumstance: The Effects of Infant Health Shocks on Fathers' Criminal Activity," NBER Working Papers 12754, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    3. Christian Brown, 2015. "Returns to Postincarceration Education for Former Prisoners," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 96(1), pages 161-175, March.
    4. Sara McLanahan, 2009. "Fragile Families and the Reproduction of Poverty," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 621(1), pages 111-131, January.
    5. Silver, Ian A. & D'Amato, Christopher & Wooldredge, John, 2021. "The cycle of reentry and reincarceration: Examining the influence on employment over a period of 18 years," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    6. Bence Czafit & János Köllő, 2015. "Employment and wages before and after incarceration – evidence from Hungary," IZA Journal of European Labor Studies, Springer;Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 4(1), pages 1-21, December.
    7. Joseph J. Sabia & Taylor Mackay & Thanh Tam Nguyen & Dhaval M. Dave, 2018. "Do Ban the Box Laws Increase Crime?," NBER Working Papers 24381, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    8. Christian Brown, 2019. "Incarceration and Earnings: Distributional and Long-Term Effects," Journal of Labor Research, Springer, vol. 40(1), pages 58-83, March.
    9. repec:pri:crcwel:wp08-04-ff is not listed on IDEAS
    10. Walk, Dror & Haviv, Noam & Hasisi, Badi & Weisburd, David, 2021. "The role of employment as a mediator in correctional education's impact on recidivism: A quasi-experimental study of multiple programs," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Incarceration;

    JEL classification:

    • J38 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Public Policy

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