Traveling to Criminal Opportunity: Defendant Mobility, Socioeconomic Context, and Prosecutorial Charge Reductions

Abstract

Objective: We investigate the role that neighborhood socioeconomic contexts and defendant mobility patterns play in prosecutorial charge reductions. Methods: Using data from a large sample of criminal defendants prosecuted during 2010 to 2011 in New York County (N = 68,113), we analyze differences in charge reductions for defendants who reside and offend in low- and high-income areas, and for those who traverse socioeconomically divergent neighborhoods when committing crime. Results: Net of individual defendant characteristics, like gender and race, we find that defendants from low-income neighborhoods who offend in high-income locales are significantly less likely to benefit from discretionary charge reductions. Conclusions: Defendant mobility patterns play a key role in defining the social context of criminal punishment. This suggests it is essential to consider both where a defendant resides and where their crime is committed when assessing the role of ecological stereotypes and place-based attributions in criminal court actor decision-making.