Ulrika Ahrsjö

We examine the intergenerational effect of education policy on crime. Using administrative data that link outcomes across generations with crime records, we show that the Swedish comprehensive school reform, gradually implemented between 1949 and 1962, reduced conviction rates both for the generation directly affected and for their sons. The reduction occurred across several types of crime. Mediation analysis suggests that the key channels include increased parental educational attainment and household income, as well as reduced criminal behavior among fathers.

We explore the role of identity along multiple dimensions in high-stakes decision-making. Our data contain information about demographic and socioeconomic indicators for defendants and randomly assigned jurors in a Swedish court. Our results show that defendants are 4 to 6 percent less likely to get a prison sentence if judged by one more juror belonging to the same identity-forming group. Moreover, they are given 10 percent shorter prison sentences. Socioeconomic background and demographic attributes are equally important for identity effects, and these effects stem from trials of longer duration and where the defendant is present in the courtroom.