District attorney elections linked to more prison admissions during ‘tough on crime’ era

By: Amanda Watford

Outlets: Stateline

Published: October 1, 2026

Words: 705

Last Updated: 1 week, 5 days ago

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County and local district attorneys oversaw higher state prison admissions during election years than in other years during the height of the nation’s “tough on crime” era, according to a new study from Northwestern University’s Pritzker School of Law.

State prison admissions were about 3% higher in years when district attorneys were up for election compared with non-election years, the study’s author found. From 1986 to 2006, that amounted to …

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