Priscillia Hunt

@PriscilliaHunt on Twitter

Economist; Professor, Pardee RAND Graduate School

Santa Monica Office

Education

Ph.D. in economics, University of Warwick (UK); M.A. in economics, University of Connecticut; B.A. in international commerce, L'Ecole Superieure de Commerce de Montpellier (France); B.A. in international business, Texas Tech University

Media Resources

This researcher is available for interviews.

To arrange an interview, contact the RAND Office of Media Relations at (310) 451-6913, or email media@rand.org.

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Overview

Priscillia Hunt is an economist at the RAND Corporation, a professor at the Pardee RAND Graduate School, and a research fellow of the Institute of Labor Economics (IZA). Her research focuses on two distinct areas in the economics of crime: 1) understanding the 'value' of criminal justice-related policies to society, and 2) quantifying the causal impact of criminal justice policies on outcomes. Regarding the former, she conducted experiments to better understand which tax policies and staffing agency practices employers valued more in hiring people with a criminal record. These studies showed employers placed great value on detailed work history information and availability of replacement workers when needed. Currently, she is studying the value of restorative justice practices to society. This work includes estimating people's willingness-to-pay to eliminate criminal records for 1st time, "low-level" offenses. Regarding the latter, Hunt estimated the impact of predictive policing policies in Chicago and Shreveport, Louisiana on crime, and a gun letter campaign on crime in Los Angeles. Hunt is currently conducting an RCT of restorative justice diversion to understand the impacts on criminal behavior. She is also leading a series of descriptive and methodological studies on the relationship between the built environment and firearm violence. Hunt is active on Twitter at @priscilliahunt. She received her Ph.D. in economics from the University of Warwick.

Research Focus

Recent Projects

Estimates of Law Enforcement Costs by Crime Type for Benefit-Cost Analyses
Experiments into Policies that Incentivize Employers to Hire People with Criminal Records
Impacts of a Firearm Letter Program on Gun Violence in Los Angeles
The Impact of Chicago's Predictive Policing Experiment on Gun Crime
The Impact of Private Police on Crime

Selected Publications

P. Hunt, R. Smart, L. Jonsson, and F. Tsang , Breaking Down Barriers: Experiments into Policies That Might Incentivize Employers to Hire Ex-Offenders, RAND (RR-2142), 2018

Saunders, J., P. Hunt, and J. Hollywood, "Predictions Put Into Practice: A Quasi-Experimental Evaluation of Chicago's Predictive Policing Pilot," Journal of Experimental Criminology, 2016

Heaton, P., P. Hunt, J. Saunders, and J. MacDonald, "Short- and Long-Run Effects of Private Law Enforcement: Evidence from University Police," Journal of Law and Economics, 59(4), 2016

Hunt, P. and R. L. Pacula, "Early Impacts of Marijuana Legalization: An Evaluation of Prices in Colorado and Washington," Journal of Primary Prevention, 38(3), 2017

Hunt, P., J. Anderson, and J. Saunders, "The price of justice: New national and state-level estimates of the judicial and legal costs of crime to taxpayers," American Journal of Criminal Justice, 2016

Jackson, B., V. Towe, L. Wagner, P. Hunt, S. Greathouse, and J. Hollywood, "Managing Officer Behavioural Risk Using Early Intervention Systems: Addressing System Design Challenges for Law Enforcement and Corrections Environments," Policing: A Journal of Policy and Practice, 10(2), 2016

Yerushalmi, E., P. Hunt, S. Hoorens, C. Sauboin, and R. Smith, "Exploring the Use of a General Equilibrium Method to Assess the Value of a Malaria Vaccine: An Application to Ghana," Medical Decision Making Policy & Practice, 4(2), 2019

Hunt, P., J. Saunders, and B. Kilmer, "Estimates of Law Enforcement Costs by Crime Type for Benefit-Cost Analyses," Journal of Benefit-Cost Analysis, 10(1), 2019

Commentary

Funding—or Defunding—the Police
With calls to reduce spending on police, a question becomes by how much? RAND researchers studied the average amount taxpayers spend for police to respond to a reported crime. These estimates are available in a new tool that makes it easy to visualize police costs per crime by state.
Jul 1, 2020 The RAND Blog
The Economic Promise of Malaria Reduction
Better understanding of how malaria reduction affects different households, regions, and economic sectors in Sub-Saharan Africa could allow policymakers to assess alternative intervention strategies and allocate resources more efficiently and effectively.
Apr 24, 2013 The RAND Blog

Publications

Journal Article
When Is a Match Sufficient? A Score-based Balance Metric for the Synthetic Control Method
In this study, we present metrics to help analysts determine whether they have a good enough match to conduct causal inference using synthetic control method.
2020
Journal Article
The Measurement of Disaster Recovery Efficiency Using Data Envelopment Analysis: An Application to Electric Power Restoration
This paper considers disaster severity to assess efficiency for electric utilities. We provide an application to recent post-hurricane restoration activities across different electric power companies in the states and territories of the United States.
Dec 15, 2020
Tool
Costs of Responding to Crime: Police, Court, and Legal Services
How much taxpayer money is spent on police, courts, and legal services to respond to crime? RAND researchers provide estimated costs by crime type and by state in a new tool that makes it easy to visualize and download the data.
Jul 1, 2020
Report
Evaluation of a Trauma-Informed Program for Juvenile Justice-Involved Youth: The Pilot Program at Lookout Mountain Youth Services Center
In this report, the authors present the results of a process and outcome evaluation of a trauma-informed pilot program run by the Colorado Division of Youth Services (DYS) in one of their residential youth facilities.
Jan 30, 2020
Journal Article
Exploring the Use of a General Equilibrium Method to Assess the Value of a Malaria Vaccine: An Application to Ghana
A general equilibrium method was used to quantify the potential impact of a malaria vaccination on the wider economy, using Ghana as an example. Results suggest investing in improving childhood health by vaccinating could have macroeconomic benefits.
2019
Journal Article
Estimates of Law Enforcement Costs by Crime Type for Benefit-Cost Analyses
This paper generates state-level, crime-specific, average variable cost estimates for crime-response services conducted by police by crime type.
2018
Report
Bridge to Opportunities: How One Probation Agency Developed a Program Designed to Connect Probationers to High-Wage Jobs
This report summarizes findings from a case study of a program intended to improve the earning potential of probationers in Sacramento County, California, by training them in construction trades and connecting them to high-wage employers.
May 25, 2018
Journal Article
NIJ's Multisite Evaluation of Prosecutor-Led Diversion Programs: Strategies, Impacts, and Cost-Effectiveness
This study examines 16 prosecutor-led diversion programs in 11 jurisdictions across the country, and conducts impact evaluations of five programs and cost evaluations of four programs.
May 17, 2018
Journal Article
Prosecutor-Led Pretrial Diversion: Case Studies in Eleven Jurisdictions
The primary focus of this study is to provide a national portrait of prosecutor-led diversion through case studies of the goals, history, policies, and practices of diversion programs implemented in 11 prosecutors' offices.
May 17, 2018
Research Brief
Incentivizing Employers to Hire Ex-Offenders: What Policies Are Most Effective?
To inform efforts aimed at improving employment rates and earnings potential for ex-offenders, RAND researchers examined employer preferences of policy options designed to incentivize employment of individuals with felony criminal records.
Feb 8, 2018
Report
Breaking Down Barriers: Experiments into Policies That Might Incentivize Employers to Hire Ex-Offenders
To inform policies and programs aimed at improving employment rates for ex-offenders, we conducted experiments to examine employer preferences regarding policy options targeted to incentivize hiring individuals with one nonviolent felony conviction.
Jan 15, 2018
Journal Article
Managing Officer Behavioural Risk Using Early Intervention Systems: Addressing System Design Challenges for Law Enforcement and Corrections Environments
The goal of EIS is to provide the opportunity to identify and intervene for officers that are showing signs of problematic behaviour or performance. In the project described here, we demonstrated expansion of the EIS concept to a corrections context.
Nov 7, 2017
Report
The Costs of Implementing Collaborative Care for Opioid and Alcohol Use Disorders in Primary Care
This report describes the costs of implementing the substance use motivation and medication integrated treatment (SUMMIT) program, separating the resources spent by a multi-site large health center in Los Angeles County and the external facilitators.
Oct 30, 2017
Report
Can an Informative Letter Reduce Gun Crime and Be Cost-Effective? A Study of Los Angeles
This report evaluates the effect of the letters sent by the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office on city-level rates of homicide, robbery, and aggravated assault with a firearm and conducts a cost-benefit assessment of this letter program.
Aug 2, 2017
Journal Article
Predictions Put Into Practice: A Quasi-Experimental Evaluation of Chicago's Predictive Policing Pilot
In order to better understand the effects of an individual-focused predictive policing program in the field, this study analyzes a pilot program implemented in Chicago in 2013 aimed at reducing gun violence.
2016
Journal Article
The Short- and Long-Run Effects of Private Law Enforcement: Evidence from University Police
This paper seeks new evidence on the impact of private police on crime, exploiting a unique setting, the University of Chicago Police Department, that permits a credible examination of the causal effect of police in both the short and long run.
2016
Journal Article
Early Impacts of Marijuana Legalization: An Evaluation of Prices in Colorado and Washington
Analysis of marijuana price data in Colorado and Washington suggests that short-term evaluations of legalization's effects on marijuana consumption are not necessarily indicative of long-term effects.
May 23, 2017
Journal Article
Continuous Quality Improvement in Substance Abuse Treatment Facilities: How Much Does It Cost?
The costs of implementing continuous quality improvement activities in substance abuse treatment facilities are relatively low overall.
Apr 26, 2017
Report
Assessment of the State and Local Anti-Terrorism Training (SLATT) Program
Assesses the Bureau of Justice Assistance's State and Local Anti-Terrorism Training Program, which provides various forms counterterrorism training to state, local, and tribal law enforcement personnel.
Oct 28, 2016
Journal Article
The Price of Justice: New National and State-Level Estimates of the Judicial and Legal Costs of Crime to Taxpayers
Using a Monte Carlo simulation approach to take into account uncertainty in the data, this study finds the national average costs to taxpayers for judicial/legal services per reported crime. In order to efficiently allocate these limited funds, we need to know how much people benefit from crime prevention.
Aug 25, 2016
Journal Article
A Practical Introduction to Methods for Analyzing Longitudinal Data in the Presence of Missing Data Using a Marijuana Price Survey
In applied psychology research settings, such as criminal psychology, missing data are to be expected. Missing data can cause problems with both biased estimates and lack of statistical power. The paper aims to discuss these issues.
2015
Journal Article
An Introduction to Monte Carlo Simulations in Criminal Psychology: Applications in Evaluating Biased Estimators for Recidivism
The purpose of this paper is to provide an introduction to MC simulation for representing uncertainty and focusses on likely uses in studies of criminology and psychology.
2015
Report
Evaluation of the Shreveport Predictive Policing Experiment
This report documents an assessment of a predictive policing effort that was conducted to evaluate the crime reduction effects of policing guided by statistical predictions.
Jul 1, 2014
Journal Article
Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) in Addiction Treatment Settings: Design and Intervention Protocol of a Group Randomized Pilot Study
Few studies have designed and tested the use of continuous quality improvement approaches in community based substance use treatment settings. Little is known about the feasibility, costs, efficacy, and sustainment of such approaches in these settings.
2014
Journal Article
Words Can Be Deceiving: A Review of Variation Among Legally Effective Medical Marijuana Laws in the United States
This study seeks to clarify the characteristics of state medical marijuana laws (MMLs) in place since 1990 that are most relevant to consumers/patients and categorizes those aspects most likely to affect the prevalence of use, and consequently the intensity of public health and welfare effects.
2014
Draft
The Role of Political Economy on State Laws Related to Medical Marijuana
Studies the political economy determinants of medical marijuana laws using a new empirical classification of states' underlying views on medical marijuana.
Jul 26, 2013
Draft
Understanding Patterns in Medical Marijuana Laws: A Latent Class and Transition Analysis
Provides quantitative evidence on the underlying views of voters and state lawmakers about the legitimacy of medical marijuana based on voter- and legislature-adopted statutes between 1990 and 2012.
Jul 26, 2013
Journal Article
Sizing National Heroin Markets in the EU: Insights from Self-Reported Expenditures in the Czech Republic and England
This report uses data about PHUs and estimates of weekly heroin expenditures in the Czech Republic and England to calculate the size and the volume of the market for these two countries.
2013
Journal Article
From the Bottom to the Top: A More Complete Picture of the Immigrant-Native Wage Gap in Britain
This paper investigates wage assimilation of foreign-born male workers in Britain over the period 1993 to 2009.
Dec 1, 2012
Report
Measuring IPR infringements in the internal market: Development of a new approach to estimating the impact of infringements on sales
This report aims to contribute to quantifying the scope, scale and impact of IPR infringements, such as counterfeiting and piracy. It offers a methodology, based on economic theory, for measuring trends of the lost revenues due to IPR infringements.
Sep 27, 2012
Report
Further study on the affordability of alcoholic beverages in the EU: A focus on excise duty pass-through, on- and off-trade sales, price promotions and statutory regulations
This study examines the overall scale and trend of price promotions and discounts in some European countries and the responses of consumers and suppliers to a variety of alcohol regulations, including excise duties.
Jun 19, 2012
Report
Study on Appropriate Methodologies to Better Measure Consumer Preferences for Postal Services: Final Report
This report summarises work undertaken using stated preference discrete choice experiments to measure consumer needs and preferences for postal services in three European countries.
Jan 16, 2012
Report
Development of a European Crime Report: Improving safety and justice with existing crime and criminal justice data
The European Commission seeks to develop a European Crime Report (ECR) to improve understanding of the EU crime and justice situation. RAND Europe researched the analytical and operational challenges and opportunities to developing an ECR.
Aug 2, 2011
Report
Testing the Police Workforce Resilience Hypothesis: An application of labour economics to policing management
This study clarifies key concepts in policing workforce management and by employing an innovative and novel econometric approach, quantifies the relationship between police force human resource levels and composition and demand for policing.
Jul 20, 2011
Research Brief
How can Europe promote labour force participation and reduce income inequality?
Improving labour force participation and reducing income inequality require social investment in the groups at risk. This study identifies challenges and suggests ideas for policymakers to improve the situation.
Apr 20, 2011
Report
Life after Lisbon: Europe's Challenges to Promote Labour Force Participation and Reduce Income Inequality
The economic crisis of 2008 has undone much of the progress on improving employment and growth in Europe. The review concludes that policy makers should focus on enabling social policy that allows individuals to achieve their productive potential.
Apr 20, 2011
Report
Preliminary assessment of economic impacts of alcohol pricing policy options in the UK
This study provides evidence on potential economic impact of policies designed to increase the price of alcoholic drinks on consumers, producers and retailers in the UK. Policy-makers used recommendations to implement a new pricing policy.
Mar 21, 2011
Report
Assessing the impacts of Revising the Tobacco Products Directive: Study to support a DG SANCO Impact Assessment
In order to inform the European Commission's formal Impact Assessment for a revision to the Tobacco Products Directive, this study provides an overview of evidence for tobacco product regulation and an analysis of health and economic implications.
Mar 8, 2011
Report
Tackling problem drug use
Describes how the British Government's narrower focus of problem drug use on most significant harms may be useful, but carries risks and drawbacks. We find the UK Drug Strategy draws on robust evidence for drug treatment and drug-related crime.
Feb 22, 2010
Report
Health and wellbeing at work in the United Kingdom
The report presents the findings of a study undertaken for the English Department of Health in 2009 on whether health workplace interventions could improve the levels of health and wellbeing in British workplaces and the NHS in England.
Sep 14, 2009
Report
Issues in estimating the economic cost of drug abuse in consuming nations: Report 3
This report presents a conceptual framework for constructing an estimate of the global cost of drug use. However, we conclude that it is not possible at this time to develop a meaningful comparative estimate of the cost of drug use across countries.
Apr 20, 2009