Jennifer Doleac: The Science of Second Chances in Criminal Justice

Jennifer Doleac studies the economics of crime and discrimination. And when she considers criminal justice reform, she’s not only hopeful but actually optimistic that things can improve for the entire system as a whole. In her new book The Science of Second Chances, Doleac lays out her view of how to reduce both crime and incarceration. She draws on cutting-edge economic research and experiments to offer a reform blueprint. She says shifting the incentives that people face can produce dramatic changes in the decisions they make, which can result in significantly fewer people going through the criminal justice system. From DNA databases that increase the likelihood of catching repeat offenders to leniency programs for first-time defendants, she reveals a series of surprising interventions that she says actually work, along with cautionary tales about great ideas that never panned out. Doleac says we can have both public safety and a smaller, “less intrusive” justice system without waiting for big structural reforms that might never happen. Can small changes result in big results? Come with your questions and find out when Jennifer Doleac joins us in San Francisco. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Jennifer Doleac: The Science of Second Chances in Criminal Justice is an episode from Commonwealth Club of California Podcast by Commonwealth Club of California.

This episode is 62:20 long.

This episode was published on Apr 28, 2026.

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