A01=Jennifer Doleac
abolition
America
Author_Jennifer Doleac
behavioral economics
Category=JBFV2
Category=JKV
Category=KCA
crime
criminal justice
criminology
death penalty
death row
deterrence
discrimination
economics
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eq_business-finance-law
eq_isMigrated=1
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eq_nobargain
eq_non-fiction
eq_society-politics
felony
incarceration cycle
inequality
jail
law enforcement
mass incarceration
mental health
mental illness
nonfiction
parole
police
policy
poverty
prison
prison reform
prosecution
punishment
race
recidivism
rehabilitation
research
restorative justice
social science
solitary confinement
United States
US
violence
Product details
- ISBN 9781250886286
- Weight: 454g
- Dimensions: 155 x 236mm
- Publication Date: 20 Apr 2026
- Publisher: Henry Holt & Company Inc
- Publication City/Country: US
- Product Form: Hardback
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When criminal justice expert Jennifer Doleac thinks about reform, she’s not just hopeful, she’s optimistic. In The Science of Second Chances, she reveals her powerful approach to reducing crime and incarceration. Drawing on cutting-edge economic research and real-world experiments, the book presents a blueprint for reform that runs all the way through the system. Doleac shows how shifting the incentives people face - even in ways that might seem negligible - can produce dramatic changes in the decisions they make, significantly reducing the number of people cycling through the prison system. From DNA databases that increase the likelihood of catching reoffenders to leniency programs for first-time defendants, she reveals a series of surprising interventions that actually work.
Doleac doesn’t have a “burn it all down” mentality but seeks to empower readers with practical, achievable solutions. She demonstrates that we can have both public safety and a smaller, less intrusive justice system. By shifting focus from the enormity of the problem to the power of small changes, she offers a transformative approach to prosecution and punishment. The Science of Second Chances is essential reading for anyone seeking data-driven strategies to revolutionise criminal justice reform and create the society we want and need.
Jennifer Doleac is the Executive Vice President of Criminal Justice at Arnold Ventures. She is a leading expert on the economics of crime and discrimination, and a vocal proponent of using rigorous research to inform policy. She frequently writes for outlets including The Washington Post, TIME, and Bloomberg Opinion, and she hosts the Probable Causation podcast on law, economics, and crime. Doleac holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Stanford University and lives in Houston, TX. More information can be found at jenniferdoleac.com or on X/Twitter at @jenniferdoleac.
