Data Collection and Reporting
Using public information, the researchers in this study constructed and analyzed a database of incarceration episodes in the city jail system, focusing on what happened March 23-29, 2020, immediately following the mayor’s order to release individuals incarcerated in New York City jails who were at high risk of contracting the disease and at low risk of committing criminal re-offense. They found that being discharged during the focus week was associated with a lower probability of readmission as compared to being discharged during the same calendar week in previous years. Furthermore, comparing the individuals discharged during the focus week of 2020 to those discharged during the same calendar week in previous years, they found that the former group was, on average, slightly older than the latter group, although the difference was not large. Additionally, the individuals in the former group had spent substantially longer in jail than those in the latter group.