Randomized Experiments in Criminology: What has been learned from long-term follow-ups? David P.

Farrington, Professor of Psychological Criminology, Cambridge University This paper reviews randomized experiments in criminology with a follow-up period of at least 10 years, an outcome measure of offending, and an initial sample of at least 100 persons. Twelve studies are reviewed: the Cambridge-Somerville Youth Study, the Perry Pre-School Programme, the Abecedarian project, the Nurse-Family Partnership, the Seattle Social Development Project, the Missouri Delinquency Project, the Infant Health and Development Project, the Washington Pre-school Programme, the Montreal LongitudinalExperimental Study, the Good Behaviour Game, Fast Track, and the Switzerland Imprisonment experiment. The key questions addressed are: What has been learned from long-term follow-ups that was not known from short-term follow-ups? How did the results change as the follow-up period was extended? What different outcome measures were needed as the follow-up period was extended? Did initial effects wear off or decay, did they persist and become greater over time, or were there delayed sleeper effects that only appeared later?