Prison Reform in the Dominican Republic

Since 2003, the Dominican Republic has been moving from a punitive to rehabilitative prison system, implementing the New Model of Penitentiary Management across its 35 prisons. This project tests how this transition affects post-incarceration outcomes for offenders, as well as evaluates societal impacts. Using non-experimental variation in assignment to prisons, researchers calculate recidivism rates to test how each prison program affects both the formerly incarcerated and the broader population. Secondary outcomes will also be studied to account for a large set of externalities for crime. Findings will contribute to the long-standing academic question of the role of prisons within society, and inform policy regarding prison reform. Results forthcoming.