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The effect of a curfew law on juvenile crime in Washington, D.C.

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Abstract

Juvenile curfew laws were a popular intervention to combat juvenile crime during the 1980s and 1990s. An experimental replication design was used to examine the impact of the Washington, D.C. “Juvenile Curfew Act of 1995.” Juvenile arrest data were analyzed using a two-standard-deviation-band approach, t-test, and trend analysis. The results, consistent with previous studies, revealed that the curfew law did not reduce total juvenile arrests. Several flaws inherent in curfew laws, as well as implications for research and policy, are discussed.

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  1. School of Social Work, University of Maryland, 10600 High Beam Court, 21044, Columbia, MD

    Danny Cole

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Correspondence to Danny Cole.

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Cole, D. The effect of a curfew law on juvenile crime in Washington, D.C.. Am J Crim Just 27, 217–232 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02885695

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