PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Andrew Barr
AU  - Alexander A. Smith
TI  - Fighting Crime in the Cradle
AID  - 10.3368/jhr.58.3.0619-10276R2
DP  - 2023 Jan 01
TA  - Journal of Human Resources
PG  - 43--73
VI  - 58
IP  - 1
4099  - http://jhr.uwpress.org/content/58/1/43.short
4100  - http://jhr.uwpress.org/content/58/1/43.full
SO  - J Hum Resour2023 Jan 01; 58
AB  - Using variation in the rollout of the Food Stamp Program (FSP), combined with criminal conviction data from North Carolina, we find that FSP availability in early childhood leads to large reductions in later criminal behavior Each additional year of FSP availability in early childhood reduces the likelihood of a criminal conviction in young adulthood by 2.5 percent, with stronger effects for violent and felony convictions. These effects are substantially larger for nonwhites, consistent with their higher levels of FSP participation. The discounted social benefits from the FSP’s later crime reduction exceed the costs of the program over this time period.