The Replacements: The Effect of Incarcerating Drug Offenders on First-Time Drug Sales Offending

It is proffered that incarcerating offenders will not attenuate criminal activity because new offenders are readily available to supplant those who are imprisoned. This situation, referred to as offender replacement, is mostly applicable for drug selling crimes where a market for illegal drugs exist...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Torres, Christopher E. (Author)
Contributors: D'Alessio, Stewart J. ; Stolzenberg, Lisa
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Published: 2021
In: Crime & delinquency
Year: 2021, Volume: 67, Issue: 3, Pages: 449-471
Online Access: Volltext (Resolving-System)
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Summary:It is proffered that incarcerating offenders will not attenuate criminal activity because new offenders are readily available to supplant those who are imprisoned. This situation, referred to as offender replacement, is mostly applicable for drug selling crimes where a market for illegal drugs exists. We hypothesize that if the incarceration of established drug offenders attenuates competition and creates a fertile environment for novice drug dealers to enter the market, a rise in the drug incarceration rate should increase the likelihood of first-time drug selling behavior. Using a multilevel modeling procedure, we find that a one-unit increase in the drug incarceration rate results in a 15% rise in the odds of a first-time offender being prosecuted for a drug-selling crime.
ISSN:1552-387X
DOI:10.1177/0011128720968507