PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Stephen B. Billings
AU  - Kevin T. Schnepel
TI  - Hanging Out with the Usual Suspects
AID  - 10.3368/jhr.58.1.0819-10353R2
DP  - 2022 Sep 01
TA  - Journal of Human Resources
PG  - 1758--1788
VI  - 57
IP  - 5
4099  - http://jhr.uwpress.org/content/57/5/1758.short
4100  - http://jhr.uwpress.org/content/57/5/1758.full
SO  - J Hum Resour2022 Sep 01; 57
AB  - Social interactions within neighborhoods, schools, and detention facilities are important determinants of criminal behavior. However, little is known about the degree to which neighborhood peers affect successful community reentry following incarceration. We measure the influence of social networks on recidivism by exploiting the fact that neighborhood peers may be locked up when a prisoner returns home. Using detailed arrest and incarceration data that include residential addresses for offenders, we find consistent and robust evidence that a former inmate is less likely to reoffend if more of their peers are held captive while they reintegrate into society.