Citation

Sloan F, Eldred L, McCutchan S, Platt A. South Econ. J. 2016; 83(2): 416-436.

Affiliation

Global Health Institute and Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University, 310 Trent Drive, Hall, Durham, NC 27710 USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2016, Southern Economic Association, Publisher Allen Press)

DOI

10.1002/soej.12159

PMID

28626266

PMCID

PMC5472385

Abstract

This study assesses why some individuals are re-arrested for driving while intoxicated (DWI). Using longitudinal data from North Carolina containing information on arrests and arrest outcomes, we test hypotheses that individuals prosecuted and convicted of DWI are less likely to be re-arrested for DWI. We allow for possible endogeneity of prosecution and conviction outcomes by using instrumental variables for the prosecutor's prosecution rate and the judge's conviction rate. With a three-year follow-up, the probability of DWI re-arrest was reduced by 6.6 percent if the person was prosecuted for DWI and, for those prosecuted, by 24.5 percent if convicted on this charge. Prosecution and conviction for DWI deters re-arrest for DWI.

Language: en

Keywords

K1; K14; K40; K42; criminal sanctions; deterrence; drunk driving; recidivism