American Economic Journal:
Economic Policy
ISSN 1945-7731 (Print) | ISSN 1945-774X (Online)
Mental Health Consequences of Correctional Sentencing
American Economic Journal: Economic Policy
vol. 17,
no. 1, February 2025
(pp. 70–105)
Abstract
Understanding whether and in what situations correctional sentencing improves or exacerbates defendants' mental health conditions is important for the design of criminal justice policies. We combine detailed Norwegian data on visits to health care professionals with quasi-experimental designs to measure the impacts of correctional sentences on mental health-related visits. Our causal evidence shows that rehabilitation-oriented sentencing can improve defendants' mental health conditions. We find that these effects are persistent and unlikely driven by shifts in health care demand. We interpret these findings in light of the rehabilitative focus of the Norwegian correctional system.Citation
Bhuller, Manudeep, Laura Khoury, and Katrine V. Løken. 2025. "Mental Health Consequences of Correctional Sentencing." American Economic Journal: Economic Policy 17 (1): 70–105. DOI: 10.1257/pol.20220227Additional Materials
JEL Classification
- I12 Health Behavior
- I18 Health: Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
- K42 Illegal Behavior and the Enforcement of Law