Better at Home than in Prison? The Effects of Electronic Monitoring on Recidivism in France

• In Event: Roundtable: Does Electronic Monitoring Reduce Recidivism?

Abstract

Many countries have recently adopted electronic monitoring (EM) as an alternative sentence in order to reduce incarceration while maintaining public safety. However, the empirical evidence on the effects of EM on recidivism (relative to prison) is very scarce worldwide. Our empirical strategy exploits the incremental roll-in of electronic monitoring in France, which started as a local experiment in four courts in 2000-2001, and was later adopted by more and more courts (2002-2003). Our IV estimates show that fully converting prison sentences into electronic monitoring has long-lasting beneficial effects on recidivism, with estimated reductions in probability of reconviction of 6-7 percentage points (9-11%) after five years. The presence of heterogeneous effects suggests that both rehabilitation and deterrence are important factors in reducing long-term recidivism, and that EM can be a very cost-effective alternative to short prison sentences.

Authors

• Anaïs Henneguelle, ENS Cachan (France)

• Annie Kensey, French Ministry of Justice - CESDIP