Criminology · 1995 · 80 citations · 26 references
Social SciencesCriminologyPublic PolicyCrimeCrime Prevention PolicyHomicideCrime PolicyCrime PreventionCriminal JusticeFirearm Violence PreventionCrime EffectsFirearm Homicide PreventionFirearm Policy EvaluationFirearm-related Sentence EnhancementFirearms Risk ReductionGun RegulationGun SafetyPrison Population Forecasting
Legislation imposing mandatory minimum or enhanced sentences for gun‑related crimes is a common response to gun violence, though small studies have hinted it may reduce certain gun crimes. The study compiled state laws and estimated their impact on prison populations, admissions, crime rates, and gun‑related violence. The authors used a multiple time‑series design with 16–24 years of state data, treating other states as controls. The analysis showed that the laws had limited impact in only a few states and overall provide little evidence of reducing crime or expanding prison populations.
Legislation mandating minimum sentences or additions to sentences for crimes committed with guns is a frequent response to gun problems. We compiled these state laws and estimated their impact on state prison populations, prison admissions, UCR crime rates, and gun use in homicides, assaults and robberies. We employed a multiple time series research design, with data for nearly all states over the past 16 to 24 years, such that for any one state the remaining states operated as controls. Several small‐scale studies have suggested that the laws might reduce some types of gun crime. We found that the laws produced such an impact in no more than a few states and that there is little evidence that the laws generally reduce crime or increase prison populations.
26
On the Pooling of Time Series and Cross Section Data
Yair Mundlak · Econometrica · 1978 · 5.2K citations