The complementary role of distributive and criminal equity

Massimo D'Antoni, Avraham D. Tabbach

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

We conduct a theoretical analysis to explore how the distribution of wealth in society impacts the social costs of crime and law enforcement. We show that a reduction in inequality reduces these costs when enforcement and nonmonetary punishment are equitable, that is, they do not discriminate among offenders based on their wealth. However, when enforcement or nonmonetary punishment is discriminatory, a reduction in inequality may increase the social costs of crime and law enforcement, in particular when it occurs among poorer individuals. Thus, there is a complementarity between equity in criminal justice and distributional equity.

Original languageEnglish
Article numbere12708
JournalJournal of Public Economic Theory
Volume26
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 2024

Keywords

  • inequality
  • law enforcement

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Finance
  • Sociology and Political Science
  • Economics and Econometrics

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