Longer custodial sentences lead to consistent reductions in crime

Longer prison sentences contribute to reducing property crime, according to a new Civitas report which shows that prison is effective, especially when targeted at serious and repeat offenders. Acquisitive Crime: Imprisonment, Detection and Social Factors by University of Birmingham economist Dr. Siddhartha Bandyopadhyay, with assistance from his colleagues Samrat Bhattacharya, Marianna Koli and Rudra Sensarma shows that for some crime types, longer custodial sentences lead to consistent reductions in crime.