CarlyWill Sloan

Publications

1. The Effect of Field Training Officers on Police Use of Force

   with Chandon Adger and Matt Ross

   American Economic Review, 2026

   Journal

   Abstract

   The influence of on-the-job training and supervisors, especially in high-stakes settings like policing, is poorly understood. Examining a central behavior in the debate surrounding police reform, we investigate the impact of a field training officer (FTO) on a recruit’s use of force. Leveraging a setting with conditional as-good-as-random assignment, we demonstrate a causal link between FTO and recruit use of force. A one standard deviation increase in FTO force propensity leads to a 14 to 18 percent rise in recruit force, persisting for at least two years. This underscores field training’s impact and reveals a promising avenue for reform.

2. Do Prosecutor and Defendant Race Pairings Matter? Evidence from Random Assignment

   Journal of Public Economics, 2026

   Abstract

   Racial disparities in criminal justice outcomes are well-documented. However, there is little evidence on whether the pairing of prosecutors and defendants contributes to these disparities. This paper tests for cross-race effects in convictions by prosecutors. I leverage conditional as-good-as-random assignment of misdemeanor cases using administrative data from New York County’s Early Case Assessment Bureau. Assignment to a cross-race prosecutor increases conviction rates for property crimes by 5 percentage points (8 percent), with no strong effects for other crimes. Results appear driven by reduced use of dismissals, particularly adjournments in contemplation of dismissal, a discretionary form of leniency controlled by prosecutors.

3. The Effect of Risk Assessment Scores on Judicial Behavior and Defendant Outcomes

   with George Naufal and Heather Caspers

   Journal of Human Resources, 2025

   JournalIZA working paper

   Abstract

   Risk assessment has been increasingly adopted in an effort to reduce pretrial detention for poor, low-risk defendants. This paper examines the impact of risk assessment using administrative data from a large Texas County. We identify effects using a regression discontinuity that exploits the overnight implementation of a risk assessment policy. Results indicate this led to a 6.5 percent increase in nonfinancial bond and an 8.5 percent decrease in pretrial detention, though neither effect persisted beyond two months. Additionally, the policy did not increase violent pretrial crime, though there is some suggestive evidence of increases in nonviolent pretrial crime.

4. Can Text Messages Reduce Incarceration in Rural and Vulnerable Populations?

   with Emily Owens

   Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 2023

   Journal

   Abstract

   Reducing failures to appear (FTA) in court is a top priority for criminal justice practitioners and advocates. However, existing work on reducing FTAs through text message reminders focuses on large urban jurisdictions and defendants who are housed. Using a field study in Shasta County, California, we evaluate whether text message outreach can increase court appearances for housed and unhoused populations. We find housed defendants randomly assigned to the treatment group were 10% less likely to miss their next scheduled court date than defendants in the control group. We find no statistical difference in the FTA rate of unhoused individuals assigned to treatment or control groups, and cannot rule out large positive or negative effects. We find that improving the quality of contact information in court records could lead to large reductions in FTAs. Partnering with local social service providers may not, but more research is needed.

5. Does Race Matter for Police Use of Force? Evidence from 911 Calls

   with Mark Hoekstra

   American Economic Review, 2022

   JournalPodcast

   Abstract

   This paper examines race and police use of force using data on 1.6 million 911 calls in two cities, neither of which allows for discretion in officer dispatch. Results indicate white officers increase force much more than minority officers when dispatched to more minority neighborhoods. Estimates indicate black (Hispanic) civilians are 55 (75) percent more likely to experience any force, and five times as likely to experience a police shooting, compared to if white officers scaled up force similarly to minority officers. Additionally, 14 percent of white officers use excess force in black neighborhoods relative to our statistical benchmark.

6. Minimum Wage and Search Effort

   with Camilla Adams and Jonathan Meer

   Economics Letters, 2022

   JournalCato brief

   Abstract

   Labor market search-and-matching models posit supply-side responses to minimum wage increases that may lead to improved matches and lessen or even reverse negative employment effects. Using event study analysis of recent minimum wage increases, we find that these changes do not affect the likelihood of searching, but do lead to transitory spikes in search effort by individuals already looking for work. These results are not driven by changes in the composition of searchers, and are concentrated among the groups most likely to be impacted by the minimum wage and in response to larger minimum wage increases.

7. Entrepreneurship and Crime: The Case of New Restaurant Location Decisions

   with Steven Caudill and Franklin Mixon

   Journal of Business Venturing Insights, 2016

   Journal

Working papers

1. More with Less: The Impact of Mandatory Overtime on Police Wellness and Productivity

   with Katie Bollman, Ariel Gomez, and Matt Ross

   Abstract

   Can mandatory overtime effectively serve as a buffer against labor shortages, or does the cost of increased exhaustion and diminished productivity outweigh the benefits? We address this question by analyzing a mandatory overtime policy implemented by the Chicago Police Department in 2022–2023. This policy created both cross-sectional and temporal variation in overtime assignments, which we leverage in a stacked difference-in-differences design. Using a comprehensive dataset of daily officer-level records, we evaluate the effects of assignment to mandatory overtime on officer behavior, wellness, and on-the-job performance. Being assigned one additional shift does not meaningfully affect officer injuries, sick leave, or overall absence rates. Subsequent attendance declines slightly (approximately 1 percent), while overtime, injuries, and sickness are unchanged and precisely estimated around zero. We find no meaningful changes in calls for service. Arrests decline modestly, concentrated in less serious, non-index offenses, while use of force is imprecisely estimated. Overall, the evidence is consistent with modest reductions in lower-level discretionary enforcement and no deterioration in officer wellness.

Work in progress

1. Pilot Program to Reduce Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Motor Vehicle Enforcement Actions

   with Matt Ross

   NJ Attorney General press release

Teaching

Life