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The Labor Market Impacts of Reducing Felony Convictions

Author

Listed:
  • Amanda Agan
  • Andrew Garin
  • Dmitri Koustas
  • Alexandre Mas
  • Crystal S. Yang

Abstract

We study the labor market impacts of retroactively reducing felonies to misdemeanors in San Joaquin County, California, where criminal justice agencies implemented Proposition 47 reductions in a quasi-random order, without requiring input or action from affected individuals. Linking records of reductions to administrative tax data, we find employment benefits for individuals who (likely) requested their reduction, consistent with selection, but no benefits among the larger subset of individuals whose records were reduced proactively. A field experiment notifying a subset of individuals about their proactive reduction also shows null results, implying that lack of awareness is unlikely to explain our findings.

Suggested Citation

  • Amanda Agan & Andrew Garin & Dmitri Koustas & Alexandre Mas & Crystal S. Yang, 2024. "The Labor Market Impacts of Reducing Felony Convictions," American Economic Review: Insights, American Economic Association, vol. 6(3), pages 341-358, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:aerins:v:6:y:2024:i:3:p:341-58
    DOI: 10.1257/aeri.20230255
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    Cited by:

    1. Stephen B. Billings & Michael D. Makowsky & Kevin Schnepel & Adam Soliman, 2025. "Better stealing than dealing: how do felony theft thresholds impact crime?," CEP Discussion Papers dp2130, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    2. Patrick Bayer & Kerwin Kofi Charles & Ellora Derenoncourt, 2025. "Racial Inequality in the Labor Market," Working Papers 343, Princeton University, Department of Economics, Center for Economic Policy Studies..

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • C93 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Field Experiments
    • H76 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - Other Expenditure Categories
    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply
    • K14 - Law and Economics - - Basic Areas of Law - - - Criminal Law
    • K42 - Law and Economics - - Legal Procedure, the Legal System, and Illegal Behavior - - - Illegal Behavior and the Enforcement of Law

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