TY - JOUR T1 - Fighting Crime in the Cradle JF - Journal of Human Resources JO - J Hum Resour SP - 43 LP - 73 DO - 10.3368/jhr.58.3.0619-10276R2 VL - 58 IS - 1 AU - Andrew Barr AU - Alexander A. Smith Y1 - 2023/01/01 UR - http://jhr.uwpress.org/content/58/1/43.abstract N2 - 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. ER -