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Results for bank robberies (italy)

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Author: Mastrobuoni, Giovanni

Title: Optimal Criminal Behavior and the Disutility of Jail: Theory and Evidence On Bank Robberies

Summary: This paper uses unique data on the benefits of individual crimes, in particular, 5,000 Italian bank robberies – representing 57 percent of all European bank robberies – to identify the distribution of criminals’ perceived disutility of jail or value of freedom. Bank robbers behave according to an instantaneous version of Becker’s model of crime: during bank robberies both the probability of apprehension and the average haul increase over time. At the margin this trade-off depends on: i) the criminal’s expected haul at time t, ii) its expected increase between t and t+1, iii) the hazard rate of arrest, and iv) the criminals’ disutility of ending up in jail. The optimal duration t in successful robberies allows me to identify the individual disutility of ending up in jail or value of freedom. The distribution of the disutility of jail is positively skewed and resembles a typical earnings distribution. Ability among criminals appears to be distributed like ability among workers since both earnings and the disutility of jail – an opportunity cost that is larger for more able criminals – arise from an underlying distribution of ability. Moreover, the relationship between the modus operandi of bank robberies and the derived disutility of jail time is consistent with the existence of general deterrence. Sentence enhancements appear to be correctly targeting the most able bank robbers. Finally, more able bank robbers are considerably more responsive to deterrence than less able ones.

Details: Unpublished Paper, 2011. 42p.

Source: Internet Resource: Working Paper: Accessed May 4, 2011 at: http://www.carloalberto.org/people/mastrobuoni/doc/ValueFreedom4.pdf

Year: 2011

Country: Italy

URL: http://www.carloalberto.org/people/mastrobuoni/doc/ValueFreedom4.pdf

Shelf Number: 121618

Keywords:
Bank Robberies (Italy)
Deterrence
Robbery
Sentencing