This research project seeks to estimate the effectiveness of different sentences and penal measures in preventing reoffending among convicts in France. Criminal records data allow researchers to follow convictions of any given individual aver a long period of time. This project thus proposes to compare the trajectories of offenders convicted to sentences of different quantum and type (prison, suspended sentence, community service, …). The objective is to document the various risk profiles of convict in terms of recidivism, and to disentangle the role of offender-specific and case-specific characteristics from the causal effects attributable to the criminal justice system. This research project therefore aims to enlighten public policies on criminal law and to contribute to scientific advancement in this field.
