Santiago Tobon
Biographic Data
| ID | 3863493 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Santiago Tobon |
| GIVEN NAMES | Santiago |
| FAMILY NAME | Tobon |
| SIGNATURE | TOBÓN S |
| AFFILIATIONS | Universidad EAFIT |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-5274-6697 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 8 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 7 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 8 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2017 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 2 |
Implementation Outcomes of a CBT-Based Psychosocial Intervention for Gang-Recruitment-Vulnerable Youth in Medellín
This study examines the implementation outcomes of Parceros Creadores, a municipal government program in Medellín, Colombia, that deployed novice psychologists to deliver a cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) protocol to youth aged 14-28 in neighborhoods controlled by local gangs.Twelve psychologists wrote reflective essays about their implementation experience.We analyzed the essays using reflexive thematic analysis and organized findings around …
State-Building in the City
We helped design and evaluate a statebuilding intervention in Medellín, Colombia. The municipal government dramatically intensified nonpolice state presence in 40 neighborhoods over 20 months. On average, perceptions of security and legitimacy changed negligibly, suggesting that returns to statebuilding investments are generally low, at least within electoral cycles. Prespecified heterogeneity analysis, however, reveals significant increases in s…
The perils of military policing
Do Better Prisons Reduce Recidivism? Evidence from a Prison Construction Program
I study the effects of prison quality on recidivism using individual-level data from Colombia. To estimate causal effects, I leverage the quasi-random assignment of inmates to newer, less crowded, and higher service prisons. For inmates assigned to newer facilities, I find that the probability of returning to prison within one year is 36% lower. Criminal capital, access to rehabilitation programs, and negative prison experiences, which could trig…
Production and persistence of criminal skills
The Deterrent Effect of Surveillance Cameras on Crime
From the U.S. to Colombia to China, millions of public surveillance cameras are at the core of crime prevention strategies. Yet, we know little about the effects of surveillance cameras on criminal behavior, especially in developing economies. We study an installation program in Medellín and find that the quasi‐random allocation of cameras led to a decrease in crimes and arrests. With no increase in the monitoring capacity and no chance to use ca…
El gasto fiscal de la guerra contra los portadores de drogas ilícitas
Around the world, governments spend enormous amounts of public funds in controlling possession, manufacturing and trafficking of illicit drugs. These costs are usually difficult to observe, as they correspond to the opportunity cost of many bureaucrats involved in the process. In this paper, we estimate the expected cost per arrest for possession, manufacturing or trafficking of illicit drugs for the case of Colombia. We find that the expected co…
The role of land property rights in the war on illicit crops
This paper examines the effect of the formalization of land property rights in the war against illicit crops, using the case of Colombia. We argue that as a consequence of the increase in state presence and visibility, municipalities with a higher level of formalization of their land property rights witnessed a greater reduction in the area allocated to illicit crops. We hypothesize that this is due to the possibility of obtaining more benefits i…
The Deterrent Effect of Surveillance Cameras on Crime
From the U.S. to Colombia to China, millions of public surveillance cameras are at the core of crime prevention strategies. Yet, we know little about the effects of surveillance cameras on criminal behavior, especially in developing economies. We study an installation program in Medellín and find that the quasi‐random allocation of cameras led to a decrease in crimes and arrests. With no increase in the monitoring capacity and no chance to use ca…
The role of land property rights in the war on illicit crops
This paper examines the effect of the formalization of land property rights in the war against illicit crops, using the case of Colombia. We argue that as a consequence of the increase in state presence and visibility, municipalities with a higher level of formalization of their land property rights witnessed a greater reduction in the area allocated to illicit crops. We hypothesize that this is due to the possibility of obtaining more benefits i…
El gasto fiscal de la guerra contra los portadores de drogas ilícitas
Around the world, governments spend enormous amounts of public funds in controlling possession, manufacturing and trafficking of illicit drugs. These costs are usually difficult to observe, as they correspond to the opportunity cost of many bureaucrats involved in the process. In this paper, we estimate the expected cost per arrest for possession, manufacturing or trafficking of illicit drugs for the case of Colombia. We find that the expected co…
The role of land property rights in the war on illicit crops
This paper examines the effect of the formalization of land property rights in the war against illicit crops, using the case of Colombia. We argue that as a consequence of the increase in state presence and visibility, municipalities with a higher level of formalization of their land property rights witnessed a greater reduction in the area allocated to illicit crops. We hypothesize that this is due to the possibility of obtaining more benefits i…
El gasto fiscal de la guerra contra los portadores de drogas ilícitas
Around the world, governments spend enormous amounts of public funds in controlling possession, manufacturing and trafficking of illicit drugs. These costs are usually difficult to observe, as they correspond to the opportunity cost of many bureaucrats involved in the process. In this paper, we estimate the expected cost per arrest for possession, manufacturing or trafficking of illicit drugs for the case of Colombia. We find that the expected co…
The Deterrent Effect of Surveillance Cameras on Crime
From the U.S. to Colombia to China, millions of public surveillance cameras are at the core of crime prevention strategies. Yet, we know little about the effects of surveillance cameras on criminal behavior, especially in developing economies. We study an installation program in Medellín and find that the quasi‐random allocation of cameras led to a decrease in crimes and arrests. With no increase in the monitoring capacity and no chance to use ca…
Do Better Prisons Reduce Recidivism? Evidence from a Prison Construction Program
I study the effects of prison quality on recidivism using individual-level data from Colombia. To estimate causal effects, I leverage the quasi-random assignment of inmates to newer, less crowded, and higher service prisons. For inmates assigned to newer facilities, I find that the probability of returning to prison within one year is 36% lower. Criminal capital, access to rehabilitation programs, and negative prison experiences, which could trig…
Production and persistence of criminal skills
The perils of military policing
Implementation Outcomes of a CBT-Based Psychosocial Intervention for Gang-Recruitment-Vulnerable Youth in Medellín
This study examines the implementation outcomes of Parceros Creadores, a municipal government program in Medellín, Colombia, that deployed novice psychologists to deliver a cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) protocol to youth aged 14-28 in neighborhoods controlled by local gangs.Twelve psychologists wrote reflective essays about their implementation experience.We analyzed the essays using reflexive thematic analysis and organized findings around …
State-Building in the City
We helped design and evaluate a statebuilding intervention in Medellín, Colombia. The municipal government dramatically intensified nonpolice state presence in 40 neighborhoods over 20 months. On average, perceptions of security and legitimacy changed negligibly, suggesting that returns to statebuilding investments are generally low, at least within electoral cycles. Prespecified heterogeneity analysis, however, reveals significant increases in s…
Political science (7 works) · Crime, Illicit Activities, and Governance (6 works) · Law (6 works) · Business (5 works) · Criminology (5 works) · Economics (5 works) · Crime Patterns and Interventions (4 works) · Law (4 works) · Psychology (4 works) · Sociology (3 works)