Does a Higher Incarceration Rate Increase Unemployment?

Voiceover

Presenter(s)

Chris Acker

Abstract or Description

The United States’ role as the world’s top incarcerator has prompted many social scientists and policymakers to investigate the effects of our current prison system on indicators of economic and social welfare. One proposed area where high rates of incarceration may disrupt the economic health of a country is its employment rate. There is a growing body of research exploring this link in the U.S., but more research covering a greater geographical area is necessary to come to a confident consensus. Literature that addresses the overarching relationship between incarceration and unemployment rates across the U.S. is especially lacking. In order to contribute to this gap in the literature, I will conduct analysis of the relationship between yearly state-level incarceration and unemployment rates for all 50 states between 1978 and 2019. I will use ordinary least squares for my primary analysis, and fixed effects for my extended analysis to estimate this relationship.

Mentor

Dietrich Earnhart