Date: 05-24-2026
Jennifer Doleac's new book, The Science of Second Chances, digs deep into the question that if more cases were dismissed up front would that lead to more recidivism, or less? |
From Behavioral Scientist:
A man was arrested for entering a New York subway station through an emergency gate without paying the fare. When police patted him down, they found he was illegally carrying a loaded gun. When another man was arrested for fare evasion at a different stop, police found he was carrying 38 decks of heroin and a loaded gun that had been reported as stolen. Yet another was arrested for not paying the subway fare in another part of the city, and it turned out he was carrying a gun, ammunition, and crack cocaine. New York police argue that enforcing a seemingly minor offense (fare evasion) helps them catch people like these who are up to no good—perhaps preventing violent crime.
And yet, how to handle such offenses has been hotly debated for decades. Some worry that allowing arrests will result in violent confrontations or jail time for people already struggling to make ends meet. For what, a $2.90 subway ticket? While some of those arrested for fare evasion will have a track record of crime, for many others this would be their first arrest. Is a criminal charge really our best option?
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