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Post-compulsory education and imprisonment

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  • Brugård, Kaja Høiseth
  • Falch, Torberg

Abstract

This paper studies the causal relationship between education and crime. Using Norwegian register data, we estimate the effect of a post-compulsory high school education on imprisonment for young adults. The identification in the instrumental variables model is based on variation in the supply of school slots across school districts and neighborhoods. We find that the number of semesters in high school education has a strong diminishing effect on imprisonment. The effect is robust to model specification, but seems to be related to prior skills.

Suggested Citation

  • Brugård, Kaja Høiseth & Falch, Torberg, 2013. "Post-compulsory education and imprisonment," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 23(C), pages 97-106.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:labeco:v:23:y:2013:i:c:p:97-106
    DOI: 10.1016/j.labeco.2013.05.001
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    1. Åslund, Olof & Grönqvist, Hans & Hall, Caroline & Vlachos, Jonas, 2018. "Education and criminal behavior: Insights from an expansion of upper secondary school," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 178-192.
    2. Noghanibehambari, Hamid & Tavassoli, Nahid, 2022. "An ounce of prevention, a pound of cure: The effects of college expansions on crime," International Review of Law and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    3. Barnes, Stephen & Beland, Louis-Philippe & Joshi, Swarup & Willage, Barton, 2022. "Staying out of trouble? Effect of high school career counseling on crime," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    4. Wang, Chuhong & Liu, Xingfei & Yan, Zizhong & Zhao, Yi, 2022. "Higher education expansion and crime: New evidence from China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    5. Sakai Yoko & Masuda Kazuya, 2020. "Secondary education and international labor mobility: evidence from the natural experiment in the Philippines," IZA Journal of Development and Migration, Sciendo & Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 11(1), pages 1-22, January.

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