Overview

This study examines the effects of two significant state incarceration policies from the 1990s—three strikes and truth in sentencing—on birth outcomes for Black and White infants. The research employs a difference-in-differences event study design to capture the dynamic effects of these policies over time.

Findings

  • The adoption of three strikes policies resulted in worsened birth weight outcomes for Black infants.
  • Truth in sentencing policies, on the other hand, are suggestive of gradual improvements in birth outcomes for both Black and White infants.
  • The study indicates that these policies affect population health through different mechanisms, including stigmatizing public discourse (three strikes) and changes in incarceration and crime rates (truth in sentencing).

Implications for Policy and Practice

The findings underscore the complex and racialized impacts of incarceration policies on community health, highlighting the need for reforms to consider both the material and psychological mechanisms by which policies affect health outcomes.

Principal Investigators

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