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The Impact of Felony Larceny Thresholds on Crime in New England

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  • Osborne Jackson
  • Riley Sullivan

Abstract

Criminal justice reform has been a high-priority policy area in New England and the nation in recent years. States are generally seeking legislation that would help reintegrate ex-offenders into society while still prioritizing the welfare of all members of the public and the achievement of fiscal goals. The research findings presented in this report indicate that raising felony larceny thresholds—that is, increasing the dollar value of stolen property at or above which a larceny offense may be charged in court as a felony rather than a misdemeanor, a policy adopted by three New England states over the last decade—seems to balance these objectives. Policymakers interested in criminal justice reform should consider incorporating felony larceny threshold increases into the suite of policy changes implementing such reform.

Suggested Citation

  • Osborne Jackson & Riley Sullivan, 2020. "The Impact of Felony Larceny Thresholds on Crime in New England," New England Public Policy Center Research Report 87612, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.
    • Handle: RePEc:fip:fedbcr:87612
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Osborne Jackson & Thu Tran, 2020. "Larceny in the Product Market: A Hidden Tax?," Working Papers 20-14, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    labor supply; felony conviction; larceny thresholds; crime; theft;
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