Citation

Doherty EE, Green KM. Br. J. Criminol. 2023; 63(5): 1108-1128.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2023, Centre for Crime and Justice Studies, Publisher Oxford University Press)

DOI

10.1093/bjc/azac079

PMID

37600929

PMCID

PMC10433506

Abstract

Research on the long-term relationship between offending and mortality is limited, especially among minorities who have higher risk of premature mortality and criminal offending, particularly arrest. Using Cox proportional hazard models, we estimate the relationship between young adult offending and later mortality (to age 58) among a community cohort of Black Americans (n = 1,182). After controlling for a wide range of covariates, results indicate that violent offenders are at heightened risk of mortality from young adulthood through midlife compared with both non-violent only offenders and non-offenders. Further analysis shows that this result is driven by the frequent, largely non-violent, arrests incurred among violent offenders. Criminal justice reform and collaboration with public health practitioners might be fruitful avenues to reduce mortality disparities.

Language: en

Keywords

mortality; health disparities; life course