Can Better Judicial Systems Prevent Crime?

Abstract

This paper studies the effect of judicial capacity on violent crimes in the context of weak judicial capacity. We use a regression discontinuity approach, exploring the rules that determine judicial district classifications in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. They lead to a discontinuity in performance between first-and second-level districts due to the concentration of more productive judges in higher-level courts driven by the promotion process. The improvement in judicial capacity reduces violent crime rates and increases the number of convicted prisoners. These findings support theoretical models that attest to the role of legal capacity in crime reduction.

Keywords: judicial capacity, crime, law enforcement

JEL Classification: K42, K14