Reframing the debate on legal financial obligations and crime

How accruing monetary sanctions impacts recidivism

Bibliographic Data

ID9680790
AuthorsMichael Ostermann (0000-0001-9572-1342, School of Criminal Justice Rutgers University Newark New Jersey USA), Nathan W Link (0000-0002-2763-2011, Department of Sociology, Anthropology & Criminal Justice Rutgers University Camden New Jersey USA, corresponding author), Jordan M Hyatt (0000-0002-8406-062X, Department of Criminology and Justice Studies Drexel University Philadelphia Pennsylvania USA)
Year2024
Volume62
Issue2
Pages331-363
Publication date2024-05-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueCriminology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0011-1384 • E-ISSN: 1745-9125
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/1745-9125.12375
OpenAlexW4400772631
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited86

Legal financial obligations (LFOs) associated with justice system involvement are increasingly a focus for policymakers and researchers seeking to understand sources of inequality and the factors that promote successful reentry. These conversations often rely on an assumption that LFOs are associated with or may even drive higher rates of recidivism. The empirical research in this area, however, has not kept up with the growing strength of these claims. This study reports findings that may offer a new perspective and contribute to an evidence‐based debate. Multisourced administrative data on all individuals released from carceral supervision in an East Coast state (N = 21,301) over 3 years are used to examine the complex relationship between criminal justice debt and reoffending. We detail the results of survival analyses estimating the impact of these debts on various forms of recidivism. Broadly, we find that even though the relationship between case‐level LFO assessments and future offending did not reach statistical significance, the association with the cumulative effect of monetary sanctions over the life course did. Furthermore, the impact of LFO debt is greater for certain racial groups, supporting theoretical and practical inquiries into factors informing structural disadvantage. Implications for policy and future research are considered

Actuarial science · Business · Cognitive reframing · Criminology · Economics · Law and economics · Political science · Recidivism · Sanctions · Sociology · Crime Patterns and Interventions · Crime, Illicit Activities, and Governance · Criminal Justice and Corrections Analysis · Finance · Law · Psychology · Social Psychology

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