Hanging Out with the Usual Suspects

ABSTRACT Social interactions within neighborhoods, schools, and detention facilities are important determinants of criminal behavior. However, little is known about the degree to which neighborhood peers affect successful community reentry following incarceration. We measure the influence of social networks on recidivism by exploiting the fact that neighborhood peers may be locked up when a prisoner returns home. Using detailed arrest and incarceration data that include residential addresses for offenders, we find consistent and robust evidence that a former inmate is less likely to reoffend if more of their peers are held captive while they reintegrate into society.