Startseite Stricter Community Supervision, More Recidivism? An Ego-Depletion Theory
Artikel
Lizenziert
Nicht lizenziert Erfordert eine Authentifizierung

Stricter Community Supervision, More Recidivism? An Ego-Depletion Theory

  • Murat C. Mungan EMAIL logo
Veröffentlicht/Copyright: 30. Mai 2023
Veröffentlichen auch Sie bei De Gruyter Brill

Abstract

Can stricter community supervision (i.e., parole and probation) requirements lead to an increase in recidivism? I investigate this question by constructing a law enforcement model in which individuals can incur costs to increase their degree of self-control. The analysis reveals that stricter community supervision can, in fact, increase recidivism if these investments lead to ego-depletion. This possibility therefore warrants empirical investigation, and policy makers ought to be mindful of it when determining the strictness of community supervision conditions.

JEL Classification: K0; K14; K42

Corresponding author: Professor Murat C. Mungan, Texas A&M University School of Law, Fort Worth, USA, E-mail:

I am grateful to two anonymous referees for useful comments and suggestions, and to the Bologna Center for Law and Economics for support.


References

Bernhardt, D., Mongrain, S., and Roberts, J. (2012). Rehabilitated or not: an informational theory of parole decisions. J. Law Econ. Organ. 28: 186–210. https://doi.org/10.1093/jleo/ewq008.Suche in Google Scholar

Deng, S. (2020). Revoked: how probation and parole feed mass incarceration in the United States. Human Rights Watch Report, Available at: https://www.hrw.org/report/2020/07/31/revoked/how-probation-and-parole-feed-mass-incarceration-united-states.Suche in Google Scholar

Friehe, T. and Schildberg-Hörisch, H. (2017). Self-control and crime revisited: disentangling the effect of self-control on risk taking and antisocial behavior. Int. Rev. Law Econ. 49: 23–32. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.irle.2016.11.001.Suche in Google Scholar

Garoupa, N. (1997). Prison, parole, and the criminal justice act 1991. Res. Law Econ. 18: 125.Suche in Google Scholar

Glazer, J. (2014). Why it might Be time to rethink the rules of parole. FiveThirtyEight, Available at: https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/why-it-might-be-time-to-rethink-the-rules-of-parole/.Suche in Google Scholar

Grattet, R. and Lin, J. (2016). Supervision intensity and parole outcomes: a competing risks approach to criminal and technical parole violations. Justice Q. 33: 565–583. https://doi.org/10.1080/07418825.2014.932001.Suche in Google Scholar

Hawken, A. and Kleiman, M. (2009). Managing drug involved probationers with swift and certain sanctions: evaluating hawaii’s HOPE. National Criminal Justice Reference Service, Washington, DC.10.1037/e513502010-001Suche in Google Scholar

Miceli, T. (1994). Prison and parole: minimizing the cost of non-monetary sanctions as deterrents. Res. Law Econ. 16: 197.Suche in Google Scholar

Miller, J. (2021). The endless trap of American parole. The Washington Post Magazine, Available at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/magazine/2021/05/24/moral-outrage-american-parole/.Suche in Google Scholar

Mungan, M., Aslim, E., and Lu, Y. (2022). Inmate assistance programs: toward a less punitive and more effective criminal justice system. George Mason Law & Economics Research Paper: 22–32.10.2139/ssrn.4171211Suche in Google Scholar

Muraven, M. and Baumeister, R. (2000). Self-regulation and depletion of limited resources: does self-control resemble a muscle? Psychol. Bull. 126: 247. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.126.2.247.Suche in Google Scholar

Muraven, M., Buczny, J., and Law, K. (2019). Ego-depletion: theory and evidence. In: Ryan, R.M. (Ed.). Oxford handbook of human motivation, 2nd ed. Oxford University Press, Oxford.10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190666453.013.7Suche in Google Scholar

Polinsky, M. (2015). Deterrence and the optimality of rewarding prisoners for good behavior. Int. Rev. Law Econ. 44: 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.irle.2015.04.004.Suche in Google Scholar

Polinsky, M. and Riskind, P. (2019). Deterrence and the optimal use of prison, parole, and probation. J. Law Econ. 62: 347–371. https://doi.org/10.1086/702474.Suche in Google Scholar

Polinsky, M. and Shavell, S. (2007). The theory of public enforcement of law. In: Polinsky, A.M. and Shavell, S. (Eds.), Handbook of law and economics. Elsevier, North Holland, pp. 403–454.10.1016/S1574-0730(07)01006-7Suche in Google Scholar

Sawyer, W. and Wagner, P. (2022). Mass incarceration: the whole pie 2022. Prison Policy Initiative, Available at: https://www.prisonpolicy.org/reports/pie2022.html.Suche in Google Scholar

Published Online: 2023-05-30

© 2023 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

Heruntergeladen am 21.9.2025 von https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/rle-2022-0088/html
Button zum nach oben scrollen