Full Citation

Title: Education and Incarceration in the Jim Crow South: Evidence from Rosenwald Schools

Citation Type: Journal Article

Publication Year: 2018

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Abstract: This paper examines the effect of childhood access to primary schooling on adult black incarceration in the early 20th century. I construct a linked census dataset of incarcerated and non-incarcerated men to observe access to schooling in childhood. I find that full exposure to one of the new primary schools built as part of the Rosenwald program reduces the probability of incarceration by 1.9 percentage points. I argue that the reduction in incarceration comes from increased opportunity costs of crime through higher educational attainment. These results contribute to a broader literature on racial gaps in social outcomes in the US. JEL Codes: I24, N32, K42

Url: https://jhr.uwpress.org/content/early/2018/08/01/jhr.55.2.0816.8142R

User Submitted?: No

Authors: Eriksson, Katherine

Periodical (Full): The Journal of Human Resources

Issue: 1

Volume: 55

Pages: 1-33

Data Collections: IPUMS USA, IPUMS USA - Ancestry Full Count Data

Topics: Crime and Deviance, Education

Countries: United States