A drug offenders data set, recently collected in Florida, is used to estimate the impact of
probation, vis-à-vis imprisonment, on recidivism. Because the sample period is characterized
as "getting tough on drugs, " a possible connection between the drug policy and the deterrent
impact of probation is explored. Econometrically, the main concern of this article is to correct
not only the bias related to the selection process, but the bias resulting from interruption of the
duration variable of those who have not returned to prison by the end of the survey. After
employing methodologies to correct for these biases, there remains no evidence that probation
per se has any significant impact on the duration of recidivism.
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