Fight the Power: Contact with the Carceral State and Voting in Bull City

• In Event: Justice and Injustice: Political Science Perspectives on Crime and Punishment Mini-Conference Lunchtime Poster Session: New Questions in the Politics of Punishment

Abstract

There has been increasing academic attention to the swelling of the criminal justice system in the
United States. A number of compelling theories have been presented that shed light on the causes
and consequences of the swelling carceral state. Yet, much remains to be explored. This paper
presents causal estimates using both an instrumental variables and propensity score matching
approach to measure the effect of three different types of contact with the criminal justice system
in Durham, North Carolina. I present findings that show for some being arrested and charged, but
not sentenced to either community supervision or incarceration, increases voting in the elections
following their interaction conditional on being registered to vote prior to contact, while I find no
significant results for other forms of contact with the criminal justice system.

Author

• Kaneesha Johnson, Harvard University