To investigate the extent to which differences in the immigrant and native-born populations explain these differences, the authors predict institutionalization rates for immigrants assuming they function like natives. Based solely on the age distributions across the two populations, immigrants should have about the same percentage incarcerated as natives, but they do not. Low levels of education are strongly associated with a high probability of being institutionalized, but less so for immigrants than natives. The same is the case for some races and ethnic groups. Black natives are much more likely to be incarcerated than black immigrants.
Asian immigrants have lower institutionalization rates than white non-Hispanic immigrants.
Finally, comparing the experience of immigrants over time, they conclude that immigrants assimilate to the higher institutionalization rates of the native born. However, more recent immigrants appear to assimilate less quickly that earlier immigrants. Butcher and Piehl see the possibility of even better news. Since youth involvement in crime is related strongly to the criminality of family members, the lower institutionalization rates of immigrants could persist in lower criminal activity of their children.