Language:
English
Pages:
1 Online-Ressource (32 pages)
Parallel Title:
Erscheint auch als A. Patrick, Behrer Heat and Law Enforcement
Keywords:
Behavioral Economics
;
Climate Action
;
Climate Change
;
Climate Change Impacts
;
Criminal Justice
;
Environment
;
Environmental Economics
;
Environmental Economics and Policies
;
Heat
;
Judges
;
Law and Development
;
Law Enforcement
;
Law Enforcement Systems
;
Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
;
SDG 13
;
SDG 16
;
Behavioral Economics
;
Climate Action
;
Climate Change
;
Criminal Justice
;
Environmental Economics
;
Heat
;
Judges
;
Law Enforcement
;
Peace, Justice And Strong Institutions
;
Sdg 13
;
Sdg 16
Abstract:
Using administrative criminal records from Texas, this paper shows how high temperatures affect the decision making of police officers, prosecutors, and judges. It finds that police reduce the number of arrests made per reported crime on the hottest days and that arrests made on these days are more likely to be dismissed in court. For prosecutors, high temperature on the day they announce criminal charges does not appear to affect the nature and severity of the charges. However, judges dismiss fewer cases, issue longer prison sentences, and levy higher fines when ruling on hot days. The results suggest that the psychological and cognitive consequences of exposure to high temperatures have meaningful consequences for criminal defendants as they interact with the criminal justice system
DOI:
10.1596/1813-9450-10776
