Abstract

The Latin America expansion of its prison population at the dawn of the 21st century has been well documented and studied. But the decarceration process that has taken place in some Latin American countries has not garnered the same interest. In Chile, the incarceration rate decreased substantially between 2010 and 2022, a process that has been scarcely studied. What are the causes behind this phenomenon? What factors explain the drop in the incarceration rate in Chile? By using a database containing the total number of admissions and releases from Chilean prisons between 2007 and 2018, we aim to answer these questions. Our analysis shows that the decrease in incarceration has been concentrated in violent crimes and drug offenses and it appears to be mainly associated with variations in police activity and a reduction in average prison stays. These findings have significant implications for the design and implementation of public policies aimed at preventing crime and promoting social reintegration.