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{{short description|Person repeating an undesirable behavior following punishment}}
{{about|recidivism in criminology and penology|recidivism in medicine|Recidivism (medicine)}}
{{redirect|Repeat offender}}
{{redirect|Reoffender|the song by Scottish alternative rock band Travis|Re-Offender}}
{{globalize|article|USA|date=December 2019}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}}

{{Criminology and penology |penology}}
{{Criminal procedure (trial)}}
'''Recidivism''' ({{IPAc-en|r|ɪ|ˈ|s|ɪ|d|ɪ|v|ɪ|z|əm}}; from {{langx|la|recidivus}} 'recurring', derived from {{lang|la|re-}} 'again' and {{lang|la|cadere}} 'to fall') is the act of a person repeating an undesirable behavior after they have experienced negative consequences of that behavior, or have been trained to [[Extinction (psychology)|extinguish]] it. Recidivism is also used to refer to the percentage of former prisoners who are rearrested for a similar offense.<ref name="Henslin, James 2008">{{cite book |last1=Henslin |first1=James M. |title=Social Problems: A Down-to-earth Approach |date=2008 |publisher=Pearson A and B |isbn=978-0-205-53466-1 }}{{page needed|date=June 2024}}</ref>

The term is frequently used in conjunction with [[criminal]] behavior and [[substance abuse]]. ''Recidivism'' is a synonym of ''[[relapse]]'', which is more commonly used in medicine and in the [[disease model of addiction]].{{medical citation needed|date=April 2021}}

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==Causes==
A 2011 study found that harsh prison conditions, including isolation, tended to increase recidivism, though none of these effects were statistically significant.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1= Drago |first1= Francesco |last2= Galbiati |first2= Roberto |last3= Vertova |first3= Pietro |title= Prison Conditions and Recidivism |journal= American Law and Economics Review |volume= 13 |issue= 1 |pages= 103–30 |date= 1 February 2011 |orig-date= 2011 |doi= 10.1093/aler/ahq024 |hdl= 10419/34825 |hdl-access= free }}</ref> Various researchers have noted that [[Loss of rights due to felony conviction|prisoners are stripped of civil rights]] and are reluctantly absorbed into communities&nbsp;– which further increases their alienation and isolation. Other contributors to recidivism include the difficulties released offenders face in finding jobs, in renting apartments or in getting education. Owners of [[business]]es will often refuse to hire a convicted felon and are at best hesitant, especially when filling any position that entails even minor responsibility or the handling of money (this includes most work), especially to those convicted of [[Theft|thievery]], such as [[larceny]], or to [[drug dependency|drug addicts]].<ref name="Bailey, Kristen 2009" />  Many leasing corporations (those organisations and people who own and rent apartments) {{as of | 2017 | lc = on}} routinely perform criminal background checks and disqualify ex-convicts.  However, especially in the [[inner city]] or in areas with high [[crime rates]], lessors may not always apply their official policies in this regard. When they do, apartments may be rented by someone other than the occupant. People with criminal records report difficulty or inability to find educational opportunities, and are often denied financial aid based on their records. In the United States, those found guilty of even a minor misdemeanor (in some states, a citation offense, such as a traffic ticket){{citation needed|date= June 2015}} or [[misdemeanor]] drug offence (e.g. [[drug possession|possession]] of [[Cannabis (drug)|cannabis]] or [[heroin]]) while receiving [[Federal Student Aid|Federal student aid]] are disqualified from receiving further aid for a specified period of time.<ref>{{cite web | url= https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/sites/default/files/ondcp/recovery/fafsa.pdf | title= FAFSA Facts | access-date= 24 June 2015 | url-status= live | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170123165201/https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/sites/default/files/ondcp/recovery/fafsa.pdf | via= [[NARA|National Archives]] | work= [[whitehouse.gov]] | archive-date= 23 January 2017 }}</ref>

== Prediction ==
The likelihood of recidivism for a previously convicted criminal can be predicted using structured professional judgement (SPJ) tools in an effort to reduce recidivism by measuring protective factors such as stable work, attitudes towards authority and living circumstances. Two tools used for SPJ include the HCR-20<ref>{{cite book |last1=Webster |first1=C. D. |last2=Douglas |first2=K. S. |last3=Eaves |first3=D. |last4=Hart |first4=S. D. |chapter=Assessing risk of violence to others |pages=251–277 |editor1-last=Webster |editor1-first=Christopher D. |editor2-last=Jackson |editor2-first=Margaret A. |title=Impulsivity: Theory, Assessment, and Treatment |date=1997 |publisher=Guilford Press |isbn=978-1-57230-225-9 }}</ref> and the newer [[Saprof|SAPROF]] developed in the late 2010s.<ref name=":03">{{cite journal |last1=de Vries Robbé |first1=Michiel |last2=de Vogel |first2=Vivienne |last3=de Spa |first3=Eva |title=Protective Factors for Violence Risk in Forensic Psychiatric Patients: A Retrospective Validation Study of the SAPROF |journal=International Journal of Forensic Mental Health |date=July 2011 |volume=10 |issue=3 |pages=178–186 |doi=10.1080/14999013.2011.600232 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Burghart |first1=Matthias |last2=de Ruiter |first2=Corine |last3=Hynes |first3=Sophia E. |last4=Krishnan |first4=Nishant |last5=Levtova |first5=Yara |last6=Uyar |first6=Abdo |title=The Structured Assessment of Protective Factors for violence risk (SAPROF): A meta-analysis of its predictive and incremental validity. |journal=Psychological Assessment |date=January 2023 |volume=35 |issue=1 |pages=56–67 |doi=10.1037/pas0001184 |pmid=36227302 |url=https://psyarxiv.com/pjv6w/ }}</ref> SPJ tools are also used in [[forensic psychiatry]].

==Effect of employment==
Most research regarding recidivism indicates that those ex-inmates that obtain [[employment]] after release from prison tend to have lower rates of recidivism.<ref name=Tripoli>{{cite journal |last1=Tripoli |first1=Stephen J. |last2=Kim |first2=Johnny S. |last3=Bender |first3=Kimberly |title=Is employment associated with reduced recidivism?: The complex relationship between employment and crime |journal=International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology |year=2010 |volume=54 |issue=5 |pages=706–20 |doi=10.1177/0306624X09342980|pmid=19638472 |s2cid=41445079 }}</ref>  In one study, it was found that even if marginal employment, especially for ex-inmates over the age of 26, is offered to ex-inmates, those ex-inmates are less likely to commit crime than their counterparts.<ref name="Uggen" />  Another study found that ex-inmates were less likely to re-offend if they found and maintained stable employment throughout their first year of parole.<ref>{{cite journal |last= Makarios |first=M. |author2= B. Steiner and L.F. Travis III |title= Examining the Predictors of Recidivism among Men and Women Released from Prison in Ohio |journal=Criminal Justice and Behavior |year=2010 |volume=37|issue=12 |pages=1377–1391 |doi=10.1177/0093854810382876 |s2cid=145456810 }}</ref>

[[African Americans]] are disproportionately represented in the American prison system, representing approximately half the prison population.<ref name=Reisig /> Of this population, many enter into the prison system with less than a [[high school diploma]].<ref>{{cite report |last1=Freeman |first1=Richard B. |title=Can We Close the Revolving Door? Recidivism vs. Employment of Ex-Offenders in the U.S. |date=19 May 2003 |url=https://webarchive.urban.org/publications/410857.html }}</ref> The lack of [[education]] makes ex-inmates qualify for low-skill, low-wage employment.  In addition to lack of education, many inmates report a difficulty in finding employment prior to incarceration.<ref name=Tripoli />  If an ex-inmate served a long prison sentence, they have lost an opportunity to gain work experience or network with potential job employers.  Because of this, employers and agencies that assist with employment believe that ex-inmates cannot obtain or maintain employment.<ref name=Tripoli />

For African American ex-inmates, their race is an added barrier to obtaining employment after release.  According to one study, African Americans are more likely to re-offend because employment opportunities are not as available in the communities they return to in relation to whites.<ref name=Bellair>{{cite journal |last2=Kowalski |first2=B. R. |last1=Bellair |first1=P. E. |title=Low-Skill Employment Opportunity and African American-White Difference in Recidivism |journal=Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency |date=4 May 2011 |volume=48 |issue=2 |pages=176–208 |doi=10.1177/0022427810391536|s2cid=145407579 }}</ref>

==Effect of education==
[[Educational program]]s in prisons have demonstrated significant benefits, particularly in reducing recidivism rates and improving post-release employment outcomes. As of 2014, approximately 67.8% of inmates were rearrested after three years and 76.6% after five years.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Recidivism of Prisoners Released in 30 States in 2005: Patterns from 2005 to 2010 {{!}} Office of Justice Programs |url=https://www.ojp.gov/library/publications/recidivism-prisoners-released-30-states-2005-patterns-2005-2010 |access-date=2025-03-03 |website=www.ojp.gov |language=en}}</ref> However, when participating in educational programs, inmates can reduce their chances of recidivism anywhere from 5.1% to 43%.<ref name="Ellison">{{Cite journal |last1=Ellison |first1=Mark |last2=Szifris |first2=Kirstine |last3=Horan |first3=Rachel |last4=Fox |first4=Chris |date=2017-06-01 |title=A Rapid Evidence Assessment of the effectiveness of prison education in reducing recidivism and increasing employment |url=https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0264550517699290 |journal=Probation Journal |language=en |volume=64 |issue=2 |pages=108–128 |doi=10.1177/0264550517699290 |issn=0264-5505}}</ref> Inmates, in regards to partaking in educational programs, can improve cognitive ability, work skills as well as being able to further their education upon release.  Moreover, inmates with higher educational levels lower their odds of recidivism. For instance, inmates who have attained a certificate of vocation reduce recidivating by 14.6%, and inmates who have attained a GED reduce recidivating by 25%.<ref name=":2" /> However, inmates with an Associates in Arts or Associates in Science reduce recidivating by 70%.<ref name=":2">Nevada Department of Corrections, [http://www.doc.nv.gov/sites/doc/files/pdf/education/education_newsletter_winter.pdf "Education Services Newsletter"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201043339/http://www.doc.nv.gov/sites/doc/files/pdf/education/education_newsletter_winter.pdf |date=1 December 2017 }}, "NDOC", Winter 2009</ref>

Additionally, while taxpayers are adversely affected as their tax money goes into the prison system, educating inmates is cost effective.<ref>[http://cepr.net/documents/publications/incarceration-2010-06.pdf "The High Budgetary Cost of Incarceration"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042251/http://cepr.net/documents/publications/incarceration-2010-06.pdf|date=1 December 2017}}, "Center for Economic and Policy Research", 2010</ref> Investing in education can drastically reduce incarceration costs. For a one dollar investment in educational programs, there would be a reduction of costs of incarceration by nearly five dollars.<ref name="justice.gov">Department of Justice, [https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-and-education-departments-announce-new-research-showing-prison-education-reduces "Justice and Education Departments Announce New Research Showing Prison Education Reduces Recidivism, Saves Money, Improves Employment"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180201192657/https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-and-education-departments-announce-new-research-showing-prison-education-reduces|date=1 February 2018}}, "Department of Justice Office of Public Affairs", 22 August 2013</ref> Also, the Three State Recidivism Study found that  two dollars are reduced for every dollar saved on correctional education. One of the states studied, Maryland, benefited from almost $23.3 million in returns, as they had a budget of $11.7 million allocated for correctional education.<ref name=":1" /> Overall, education reduces recidivism rates which can reduce cost of incarceration as well as reduce the number of people who commit crime within the community.<ref name="justice.gov" />

'''Three State Recidivism Study'''

[[Maryland]], [[Minnesota]] and [[Ohio]] were involved in a study pertaining to education and recidivism. This study was conducted by the [[Correctional Education Association]] (CEA) for the U.S. Department of Correctional Education from 1997 to 1998 and published in 2001. Stephen Steurer, Ph.D., a researcher and the Executive Direction of the CEA, was the Project Director. The lead researcher, Linda Smith, Ph.D. and project manager, Alice Tracy, Ph.D. were main researchers as well.<ref name=":1" /> Over 3,600 released inmates were examined in how educational participation while incarcerated impacted their post-release behavior. To determine the influence of education on recidivism, researchers interviewed inmates, collected their criminal history and educational data, and post-release data. With this information, it was determined that participants in prison education, reduced recidivism 29%.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Three State Recidivism Study {{!}} Office of Justice Programs |url=https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/three-state-recidivism-study |access-date=2025-03-03 |website=www.ojp.gov}}</ref>

=== Institutions and Correctional Facilities ===
Across the United States 20% to 80% of incarcerated individuals have not earned a high school diploma or its equivalent.<ref name=":3">{{Cite journal |last1=Dewey |first1=Susan |last2=Codallos |first2=Kym |last3=Barry |first3=Robin |last4=Drenkhahn |first4=Kirstin |last5=Glover |first5=Michala |last6=Muthig |first6=Alec |last7=Roberts |first7=Susan Lockwood |last8=Abbott |first8=Betty |date=2020 |title=Higher Education in Prison: A Pilot Study of Approaches and Modes of Delivery in Eight Prison Administrations |journal=Journal of Correctional Education (1974-) |volume=71 |issue=1 |pages=57–89 |jstor=26915042 |issn=0740-2708}}</ref> Thus, all U.S. prisons have basic and [[remedial education]] programs that are designed to provide incarcerated individuals with the opportunity to attain the knowledge and skills equivalent to a high school diploma.<ref name=":3" />

Some prisons offer [[vocational training]]. [[Vocational education]] directly prepares students for specific occupations rather than broad intellectual cultivation;<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Moodie |first=Gavin |date=2002-06-01 |title=Identifying vocational education and training |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13636820200200197 |journal=Journal of Vocational Education & Training |volume=54 |issue=2 |pages=249–266 |doi=10.1080/13636820200200197 |issn=1363-6820|hdl=10072/6624 |hdl-access=free }}</ref> common vocational training programs can include [[carpentry]], [[electrical work]], [[landscaping]], office services, and [[welding]]. [[Correctional facilities]] can offer reading and writing groups. This form of education is meant to use literature and writing as a form of therapy and can be referred to as "[[bibliotherapy]]". Such programs can encourage interpersonal skills and social engagement within incarcerated individuals.<ref name=":3" />

Degree-granting education programs are another form of educational opportunity available in correctional facilities.<ref name=":3" /> These programs are typically offered by institutions with well-established academic reputations, many of which are listed in the National Directory of Higher Education in Prison Programs. These institutions work to ensure that incarcerated students receive the same level of educational quality as their on-campus counterparts. Despite being a powerful tool for reducing recidivism, these programs remain uncommon in prisons due to financial and institutional constraints.

==Mental disorders==
Psychopaths may have a markedly distorted sense of the potential consequences of their actions, not only for others, but also for themselves. They do not, for example, deeply recognize the risk of being caught, disbelieved or injured as a result of their behaviour.<ref>{{cite journal |author= Dadds |title= Attention to the eyes and fear-recognition deficits in child psychopathy |volume= 189 |issue= 3 |pages= 280–81 |journal= The British Journal of Psychiatry |doi= 10.1192/bjp.bp.105.018150 |pmid= 16946366 |date= September 2006 |display-authors= etal |doi-access= free }}</ref> However, numerous studies and recent large-scale [[meta-analysis]] cast serious doubt on claims made about the ability of [[psychopathy]] ratings to predict who will offend or respond to treatment.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Yang |first1=Min |last2=Wong |first2=Stephen C. P. |last3=Coid |first3=Jeremy |title=The efficacy of violence prediction: A meta-analytic comparison of nine risk assessment tools. |journal=Psychological Bulletin |date=2010 |volume=136 |issue=5 |pages=740–767 |doi=10.1037/a0020473 |pmid=20804235 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Singh |first1=Jay P. |last2=Grann |first2=Martin |last3=Fazel |first3=Seena |title=A comparative study of violence risk assessment tools: A systematic review and metaregression analysis of 68 studies involving 25,980 participants |journal=Clinical Psychology Review |date=April 2011 |volume=31 |issue=3 |pages=499–513 |doi=10.1016/j.cpr.2010.11.009 |pmid=21255891 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Franklin |first1=Karen |title=Violence risk meta-meta: Instrument choice does matter |url=https://forensicpsychologist.blogspot.com/2011/06/violence-risk-meta-meta-instrument.html |work=IN THE NEWS |date=19 June 2011 }}{{self-published inline|date=June 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Franklin |first1=Karen |title=SVP risk tools show 'disappointing' reliability in real-world use |url=https://forensicpsychologist.blogspot.com/2012/05/svp-risk-tools-show-disappointing.html |work=IN THE NEWS |date=29 May 2012 }}{{self-published inline|date=June 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Edens |first1=John F. |last2=Boccaccini |first2=Marcus T. |last3=Johnson |first3=Darryl W. |title=Inter-rater reliability of the PCL-R total and factor scores among psychopathic sex offenders: are personality features more prone to disagreement than behavioral features? |journal=Behavioral Sciences & the Law |date=January 2010 |volume=28 |issue=1 |pages=106–119 |doi=10.1002/bsl.918 |pmid=20101592 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Singh |first1=Jay P. |last2=Grann |first2=Martin |last3=Fazel |first3=Seena |title=Authorship Bias in Violence Risk Assessment? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis |journal=PLOS ONE |date=2 September 2013 |volume=8 |issue=9 |article-number=e72484 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0072484 |doi-access=free |pmid=24023744 |pmc=3759386 |bibcode=2013PLoSO...872484S }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Crighton |first1=David |title=Uses and abuses of the Hare Psychopathy Checklist |journal=Evidence Based Mental Health |date=May 2009 |volume=12 |issue=2 |pages=33–36 |doi=10.1136/ebmh.12.2.33 |pmid=19395597 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Walters |first1=Glenn D. |title=The Trouble with Psychopathy as a General Theory of Crime |journal=International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology |date=April 2004 |volume=48 |issue=2 |pages=133–148 |doi=10.1177/0306624X03259472 |pmid=15070462 }}</ref>

In 2002, Carmel stated that the term ''recidivism'' is often used in the psychiatric and [[mental health]] literature to mean "rehospitalization", which is problematic because the concept of recidivism generally refers to criminal reoffense.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Carmel |first1=Harold A. |title='Rehospitalization' Versus 'Recidivism' |journal=American Journal of Psychiatry |date=November 2002 |volume=159 |issue=11 |page=1949 |doi=10.1176/appi.ajp.159.11.1949 |pmid=12411241 }}</ref> Carmel reviewed the medical literature for articles with ''recidivism'' (vs. terms like ''rehospitalization'') in the title and found that articles in the psychiatric literature were more likely to use the term ''recidivism'' with its [[criminological]] connotation than articles in the rest of medicine, which avoided the term. Carmel suggested that "as a means of decreasing stigmatization of psychiatric patients, we should avoid the word 'recidivism' when what we mean is 'rehospitalization{{' "}}. A 2016 followup by Peirson argued that "public policy makers and leaders should be careful to not misuse the word and unwittingly stigmatize persons with mental illness and substance use disorders".<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Peirson |first1=Ryan P. |title=Locking Away 'Recidivism' |journal=Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research |date=July 2016 |volume=43 |issue=4 |pages=479–481 |doi=10.1007/s10488-015-0646-9 |pmid=25808445 }}</ref>

== Law and economics ==
The [[law and economics]] literature has provided various justifications for the fact that the sanction imposed on an offender depends on whether he was convicted previously. In particular, some authors such as [[Ariel Rubinstein|Rubinstein]] (1980) and Polinsky and Rubinfeld (1991) have argued that a record of prior offenses provides information about the offender's characteristics (e.g., a higher-than-average propensity to commit crimes).<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Rubinstein |first1=Ariel |title=On an anomaly of the deterrent effect of punishment |journal=Economics Letters |date=January 1980 |volume=6 |issue=1 |pages=89–94 |doi=10.1016/0165-1765(80)90062-2 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Mitchell Polinsky |first1=A. |last2=Rubinfeld |first2=Daniel L. |title=A model of optimal fines for repeat offenders |journal=Journal of Public Economics |date=December 1991 |volume=46 |issue=3 |pages=291–306 |doi=10.1016/0047-2727(91)90009-Q }}</ref> However, Shavell (2004) has pointed out that making sanctions depend on offense history may be advantageous even when there are no characteristics to be learned about. In particular, Shavell (2004, p.&nbsp;529) argues that when "detection of a violation implies not only an immediate sanction, but also a higher sanction for a future violation, an individual will be deterred more from committing a violation presently".<ref>{{cite book |last1=Shavell |first1=Steven |title=Foundations of Economic Analysis of Law |date=2009 |publisher=Harvard University Press |isbn=978-0-674-04349-7 }}{{page needed|date=June 2024}}</ref> Müller and Schmitz (2015) show that it may actually be optimal to further increase the [[Deterrence (penology)|deterrence]] for repeat offenders.<ref name="Müller">{{cite journal |last1=Müller |first1=Daniel |last2=Schmitz |first2=Patrick W. |title=Overdeterrence of repeat offenders when penalties for first-time offenders are restricted |journal=Economics Letters |date=April 2015 |volume=129 |pages=116–120 |doi=10.1016/j.econlet.2015.02.010 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

Economists use the term recidivism to refer to the behaviour of states who repeatedly engage in IMF economic programs such as [[IMF Stand-By Arrangement|SBAs]]. For example, [[South Korea]], [[Zaire]], [[Liberia]] and [[Panama]] each spent well over 12 years under consecutive IMF agreements.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Vreeland |first=James Raymond |title=The international monetary fund: politics of conditional lending |date=2009 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0-415-37463-7 |edition=Reprinted |series=Routledge global institutions |location=London}}{{page needed|date=June 2024}}</ref>

==Policies to reduce recidivism ==
Proposed approaches to reduce recidivism include:

* Increasing the presence and quality of pre-release services (within incarceration facilities) that address factors associated with criminality: [[Drug rehabilitation|addiction treatment]] and [[treatment of mental disorders]], education programs/vocational training<ref name="Ellison"/> and [[prison contemplative programs]]. The current criminal-justice system in some countries focuses on the front end (arrest and incarceration), and largely ignores the tail-end (and preparation for the tail-end), which includes rehabilitation and re-entry into the community.  In most correctional facilities, if planning for re-entry takes place at all, it only begins a few weeks or months before the release of an inmate.  "This process is often referred to as release planning or transition planning and its parameters may be largely limited to helping a person identify a place to stay upon release and, possibly, a source of income."<ref name="Reentry Policy Council 2005 xi">{{cite web | author= Reentry Policy Council | publisher= The Council of State Governments | title= Charting the Safe and Successful Return of Prisoners to the Community | page= xi | location= New York | date= January 2005 | url= http://reentrypolicy.org/Report/About | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120403072111/http://reentrypolicy.org/Report/About | archive-date= 3 April 2012 }}</ref>
* Increasing the presence and quality of community-based organizations that provide post-release services.
* Increasing [[Sentence (law)|sentencing]] for repeat offenders to increase [[Deterrence (penology)|deterrence]].<ref name="Müller"/>
* [[Imprisonment]] prevents recidivism during the time in prison through [[Incapacitation (penology)|incapacitation]].<ref name="LevittUnderstandingWhyCrime2004.pdf">{{cite journal|url=http://pricetheory.uchicago.edu/levitt/Papers/LevittUnderstandingWhyCrime2004.pdf|title=Understanding Why Crime Fell in the 1990s: Four Factors that Explain the Decline and Six that Do Not |journal=Journal of Economic Perspectives|volume=18|number=1|date=Winter 2004|pages=163–190|author=Steven D. Levitt|doi=10.1257/089533004773563485|citeseerx=10.1.1.210.3073 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite report |url=https://www.nber.org/papers/w22648 |title=Incarceration, Recidivism and Employment |last=Bhuller |first=Manudeep |last2=Dahl |first2=Gordon B. |last3=Løken |first3=Katrine V. |last4=Mogstad |first4=Magne |date=2016 |publisher=National Bureau of Economic Research |issue=w22648 |language=en}}</ref>

==By country==

===Norway===
{{Further|Incarceration in Norway|Crime in Norway}}
[[Norway]] has one of the lowest reimprisonment rates within 2 years in the world at 20% in 2010,<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Adams |first1=William Lee |title=Sentenced to Serving the Good Life in Norway |url=https://time.com/archive/6597250/sentenced-to-serving-the-good-life-in-norway/ |magazine=TIME |date=12 July 2010 }}</ref><ref name=BI>{{cite news |last= Sterbenz |first= Christina |date= 11 December 2014 |title= Why Norway's prison system is so successful |url= https://www.businessinsider.com/why-norways-prison-system-is-so-successful-2014-12?op=1&r=US&IR=T |work= Business Insider |access-date= 17 June 2020}}</ref> 24% in 2014, 23% in 2015, 22% in 2016, 19% in 2017, 18% in 2018 and 20% in 2024.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.fangelsi.is/media/almennt/Nordic-Statistics-2016_2020_final.pdf|title=Correctional Statistics of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden 2016 – 2020, Ragnar Kristoffersen, University College of Norwegian Correctional Service, Lillestrøm, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last= Besser |first= Linton |date= 3 June 2024 |title= Australia can fix its broken prison system like Norway did. But first, we must face up to the facts |url= https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-06-04/australia-broken-prison-system-norway-face-facts/103926876 |work= ABC News (Australia) |access-date= 11 July 2025 |quote= Today, Norway is a world leader in turning criminals into valued members of society. Its reconviction rate, the lowest in the world, is just 20 per cent.}}</ref>

In 2023, the recidivism in Norway was 25% after 5 years and still ranked as one of the lowest recidivism rates in the world.<ref>{{cite web |last= Horgan |first= Emma |date= 1 December 2023 |title= Prisons and their Alternatives |url= https://www.muls.org/the-brief-online/norway-australia-prisons |website= Macquarie University Law Society (MULS) |access-date= 11 July 2025}}</ref> [[Prisons in Norway]] and the [[Incarceration in Norway|Norwegian criminal justice system]] focus on [[restorative justice]] and [[Rehabilitation (penology)|rehabilitating]] prisoners rather than punishment.<ref name=BI /> Norway has ranked second in the world on the [[Rule of Law Index]] every year from 2015 to 2024 (the 2025 index has not been published at the time of writing).<ref>{{cite web |date= 2024 |title= WJP Rule of Law Index |url= https://worldjusticeproject.org/rule-of-law-index/global/2024 |website= [[World Justice Project]] |access-date= 11 July 2025}}</ref>

==={{anchor|Recidivism_in_the_United_States}}United States===
{{see also|Incarceration in the United States}}
[[Image:Recidivism 1994.jpg|right|thumb|250px|According to the latest study by the [[US Department of Justice]], recidivism measures require three characteristics:
1. a starting event, such as a release from prison
2. a measure of failure following the starting event,
such as a subsequent arrest, conviction, or return to
prison
3. an observation or follow-up period that generally
extends from the date of the starting event to
a predefined end date as in 6 months, 1 year, 3 years, 5 years, or 9 years).<ref name="U.S. Department of Justice">{{cite web |title=2018 Update on Prisoner Recidivism: A 9-Year Follow-up Period (2005-2014) |url=https://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/18upr9yfup0514.pdf |website=bjs.gov |publisher=U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Statistics |access-date=18 November 2019 |date=May 2018}} {{PD-notice}}</ref> The latest  [Government study of recidivism] reported that 83% of state
prisoners were arrested at some point in the 9 years following their release. A large majority of those were arrested within the first 3 years, and more than 50% get rearrested within the first year. However, the longer the time period, the higher the reported recidivism rate, but the lower the actual threat to public safety.<ref name="U.S. Department of Justice"/>]]
According to an April 2011 report by the [[Pew Research Center|Pew Center]] on the States, 43.3% of prisoners released in 2004 were reincarcerated within 3 years.<ref>{{cite web |title=State of Recidivism: The revolving door of America's prisons |url=https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/reports/2011/04/12/state-of-recidivism-the-revolving-door-of-americas-prisons |work=The Pew Charitable Trusts |date=12 April 2011 }}</ref>

According to the [[National Institute of Justice]], almost 44 percent of the recently released return before the end of their first year out. About 68 percent of 405,000 prisoners released in 30 states in 2005 were arrested for a new crime within three years of their release from prison, and 77 percent were arrested within five years, and by year nine that number reaches 83 percent.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/once-a-criminal-always-a-criminal|title=Once a criminal, always a criminal?|website=[[CBS News]]|date=23 April 2014 |url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150716043300/http://www.cbsnews.com/news/once-a-criminal-always-a-criminal/|archive-date=16 July 2015}}</ref>

Beginning in the 1990s, the [[United States incarceration rate|US rate of incarceration]] increased dramatically, filling prisons to capacity in bad conditions for inmates.  Crime continues inside many prison walls. [[Gangs]] exist on the inside, often with tactical decisions made by imprisoned leaders.<ref name="autogenerated2003">{{cite journal |last1=Visher |first1=Christy A. |last2=Travis |first2=Jeremy |title=Transitions from Prison to Community: Understanding Individual Pathways |journal=Annual Review of Sociology |date=August 2003 |volume=29 |issue=1 |pages=89–113 |id={{Gale|A108278710}} |doi=10.1146/annurev.soc.29.010202.095931 }}</ref>

While the US justice system has traditionally focused its efforts at the front end of the system, by [[Retributive justice|locking people up]], it has not exerted an equal effort at the tail end of the system: [[Rehabilitation (penology)|decreasing the likelihood of reoffending]] among formerly incarcerated persons. This is a significant issue because ninety-five percent of prisoners will be released back into the community at some point.<ref name="Reentry trends 2002">Hughes, T. & D .J. Wilson. [http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/pub/pdf/reentry.pdf "Reentry Trends in the United States] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111214040648/http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/pub/pdf/reentry.pdf |date=14 December 2011 }}, Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance, 2002.</ref>

A cost study performed by the [[Vera Institute of Justice]],<ref>{{Cite web|last=Hyperakt|date=2 June 2020|title=Vera Institute|url=https://www.vera.org/|access-date=3 June 2020|website=Vera|language=en}}</ref> a non-profit committed to [[decarceration in the United States]], found that the average per-inmate cost of incarceration among the 40 states surveyed was $31,286 per year.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Henrichson |first1=Christian |last2=Delaney |first2=Ruth |title=The Price of Prisons: What Incarceration Costs Taxpayers |journal=Federal Sentencing Reporter |date=October 2012 |volume=25 |issue=1 |pages=68–80 |doi=10.1525/fsr.2012.25.1.68 |jstor=10.1525/fsr.2012.25.1.68 }}</ref>

According to a national study published in 2003 by [[The Urban Institute]], within three years almost 7 out of 10 released males will be rearrested and half will be back in prison.<ref name="autogenerated2003"/> The study says this happens due to personal and situation characteristics, including the individual's social environment of peers, family, community, and state-level policies.<ref name="autogenerated2003"/>

There are many other factors in recidivism, such as the individual's circumstances before [[incarceration]], events during their incarceration, and the period after they are released from prison, both immediate and long term.

One of the main reasons why they find themselves back in jail is because it is difficult for the individual to fit back in with 'normal' life.  They have to reestablish ties with their family, return to high-risk places and secure formal identification; they often have a poor work history and now have a criminal record to deal with.  Many prisoners report being anxious about their release; they are excited about how their life will be different "this time" which does not always end up being the case.<ref name="autogenerated2003"/>

====Drug-related crime====

Of US federal inmates in 2010 about half (51%) were serving time for drug offenses.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Guerino |first1=Paul |first2=Paige M. |last2=Harrison |first3=William J. |last3=Sabol |title=Prisoners in 2010 |agency=NCJ 236096 |location=Washington, D.C. |publisher=U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics |year=2011 |url=http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/p10.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150608161442/http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/p10.pdf |archive-date=8 June 2015 }}</ref>

It is estimated that three quarters of those returning to prison have a history of substance abuse. Over 70 percent of [[mentally ill prisoners in the United States]] also have a substance use disorder.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Hammett |first1=T. |first2=C. |last2=Roberts |first3=S. |last3=Kennedy |title=Health-Related Issues in Prisoner Reentry |journal=Crime & Delinquency |volume=47 |issue=3 |year=2001 |pages=390–409 |doi=10.1177/0011128701047003006|s2cid=74397616 }}</ref> Nevertheless, only 7 to 17 percent of prisoners who meet [[Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders|DSM]] criteria for a substance use disorder receive treatment.<ref>{{cite web |publisher= National Institute on Drug Abuse |title= Treating Offenders with Drug Problems: Integrating Public Health and Public Safety |location= Bethesda, Maryland |year= 2009 |url= http://www.drugabuse.gov/sites/default/files/drugs_crime.pdf |access-date= 26 May 2014 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130421235913/http://www.drugabuse.gov/sites/default/files/drugs_crime.pdf |archive-date= 21 April 2013 }}</ref>

Persons who are incarcerated or otherwise have compulsory involvement with the criminal justice system show rates of substance abuse and dependence four times higher than those of the general population, yet fewer than 20 percent of federal and state prisoners who meet the pertinent diagnostic criteria receive treatment.<ref>{{cite web | publisher= U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health | title= Addiction and the Criminal Justice System | year= 2010 | url= http://report.nih.gov/NIHfactsheets/ViewFactSheet.aspx?csid=22 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120308194509/http://report.nih.gov/nihfactsheets/ViewFactSheet.aspx?csid=22 | archive-date= 8 March 2012 }}</ref>

Studies assessing the effectiveness of alcohol/drug treatment have shown that inmates who participate in residential treatment programs while incarcerated have 9 to 18 percent lower recidivism rates and 15 to 35 percent lower drug relapse rates than their counterparts who receive no treatment in prison.<ref name="Reentry Policy Council 2005 II-B">{{cite web |author=Reentry Policy Council |publisher=The Council of State Governments |title=Charting the Safe and Successful Return of Prisoners to the Community |page=II-B-12–3 |location=New York |date=January 2005 |url=http://csgjusticecenter.org/reentry/publications/the-report-of-the-re-entry-policy-council-charting-the-safe-and-successful-return-of-prisoners-to-the-community/ |url-status=live |archive-url=http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20141020060645/http://csgjusticecenter.org/reentry/publications/the-report-of-the-re-entry-policy-council-charting-the-safe-and-successful-return-of-prisoners-to-the-community/ |archive-date=20 October 2014 }}</ref> Inmates who receive aftercare (treatment continuation upon release) demonstrate an even greater reduction in recidivism rate.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://community.nicic.gov/blogs/mentalhealth/archive/2012/10/05/post-prison-treatment-reduces-recidivism-among-women-with-substance-use-problems.aspx |title=Post-Prison Treatment Reduces Recidivism Among Women With Substance Use Problems |work=Corrections & Mental Health |publisher=National Institute of Corrections |first=Lori |last=Whitten |date=2012 |access-date=26 May 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20140528233155/http://community.nicic.gov/blogs/mentalhealth/archive/2012/10/05/post-prison-treatment-reduces-recidivism-among-women-with-substance-use-problems.aspx |archive-date=28 May 2014 }}</ref>

====Recidivism rates====
The [[United States Department of Justice]] tracked the re-arrest, re-conviction, and re-incarceration of former inmates for 3 years after their release from prisons in 15 states in 1994.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/rpr94.pdf |title=Bureau of Justice Statistics Recidivism of Prisoners Released in 1994 |publisher=Ojp.usdoj.gov |date=2 June 2002 |access-date=14 September 2009 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120124023411/http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/rpr94.pdf |archive-date=24 January 2012 }}</ref>  Key findings include:
<blockquote>
* Released prisoners with the highest rearrest rates were robbers (70.2%), burglars (74.0%), larcenists (74.6%), motor vehicle thieves (78.8%), those in prison for possessing or selling stolen property (77.4%) and those in prison for possessing, using or selling illegal weapons (70.2%).
* Within 3 years, 2.5% of released rapists were arrested for another rape, and 1.2% of those who had served time for homicide were arrested for another homicide.  These are the lowest rates of re-arrest for the same category of crime.
* The 272,111 offenders discharged in 1994 had accumulated 4.1 million arrest charges before their most recent imprisonment and another 744,000 charges within 3 years of release.
</blockquote>
The [[Prison Policy Initiative]] analyzed the recidivism rates associated with various initial offenses and found that statistically, "people convicted of ''any'' violent offense are less likely to be re-arrested in the years after release than those convicted of property, drug, or public order offenses."<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.prisonpolicy.org/reports/pie2019.html|title=Mass Incarceration: The Whole Pie 2019|last1=Sawyer|first1=Wendy|last2=Wagner|first2=Peter|date=19 March 2019|website=www.prisonpolicy.org|language=en|access-date=29 March 2019}}</ref>

The ability of former criminals to achieve [[social mobility]] appears to narrow as criminal records become electronically stored and accessible.<ref>{{citation |first=Roger |last=Roots |title=When the Past is a Prison: The Hardening Plight of the American Ex-Convict |journal=Justice Policy Journal |volume=1 |issue=3 |date=Fall 2004 |url=https://www.cjcj.org/media/import/documents/roots.pdf }}</ref>

An accused's history of convictions are called [[antecedent (law)|antecedent]]s, known colloquially as "previous" or "form" in the UK and "priors" in the United States and Australia.

There are organizations that help with the re-integration of ex-detainees into society by helping them obtain work, teaching them various societal skills, and by providing all-around support.

In an effort to be more fair and to avoid adding to already high imprisonment rates in the US, courts across America have started using [[quantitative risk assessment software]] when trying to make decisions about releasing people on bail and sentencing, which are based on their history and other attributes.<ref name=ProPublica2016/>  It analyzed recidivism risk scores calculated by one of the most commonly used tools, the Northpointe COMPAS system, and looked at outcomes over two years, and found that only 61% of those deemed high risk actually committed additional crimes during that period and that African-American defendants were far more likely to be given high scores than white defendants.<ref name=ProPublica2016>{{cite news|author1=Julia Angwin |author1-link=Julia Angwin|author2=Surya Mattu |author3=Jeff Larson |author4=Lauren Kirchner|title=Machine Bias: There's Software Used Across the Country to Predict Future Criminals. And it's Biased Against Blacks.|url=https://www.propublica.org/article/machine-bias-risk-assessments-in-criminal-sentencing|work=ProPublica|date=23 May 2016|language=en|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171117234017/https://www.propublica.org/article/machine-bias-risk-assessments-in-criminal-sentencing|archive-date=17 November 2017}}</ref>

The TRACER Act is intended to monitor released terrorists to prevent recidivism. Nevertheless, rates of re-offending for political crimes are much less than for non-political crimes.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Hodwitz |first1=Omi |title=The Terrorism Recidivism Study (TRS): Examining Recidivism Rates for Post-9/11 Offenders |journal=Perspectives on Terrorism |date=2019 |volume=13 |issue=2 |pages=54–64 |jstor=26626865 }}</ref>

====African Americans and recidivism====

With regard to the [[United States incarceration rate]], African Americans represent only about 13 percent of the United States population, yet account for approximately half the prison population as well as ex-offenders once released from prison.<ref name=Tripoli />  As compared to whites, African Americans are incarcerated 6.4 times higher for violent offenses, 4.4 times higher for property offenses and 9.4 times higher for drug offenses.<ref name="Hartney">{{cite report |last1=Hartney |first1=Christopher |last2=Vuong |first2=Linh |title=Created Equal: Racial and Ethnic Disparities in the US Criminal Justice System |date=March 2009 |url=https://search.issuelab.org/resource/created-equal-racial-and-ethnic-disparities-in-the-us-criminal-justice-system.html |oclc=419266058 }}</ref>

African Americans comprise a majority of the prison reentry population, yet few studies have been aimed at studying recidivism among this population.  Recidivism is highest amongst those under the age of 18 who are male and African American, and African Americans have significantly higher levels of recidivism as compared to whites.<ref name=Reisig>{{cite journal |last=Reisig |first=Michael D. |author2= Bales, William D. |author3= Hay, Carter |author4= Wang, Xia |title=The Effect of Racial Inequality on Black Male Recidivism |journal=Justice Quarterly |date=September 2007 |volume=24 |issue=3 |pages=408–34 |doi=10.1080/07418820701485387|s2cid=144968287 }}</ref>

The sheer number of ex-inmates exiting prison into the [[community]] is significant, however, chances of recidivism are low for those who avoid contact with the law for at least three years after release.<ref name="Uggen">{{cite journal |last=Uggen |first=Christopher |title=Work As A Turning Point In The Life Course of Criminals: A Duration Model Of Age, Employment, And Recidivism |journal=American Sociological Review |date=August 2000 |volume=65 |issue=4 |pages=529–546 |doi=10.2307/2657381 |jstor=2657381 }}</ref>  The communities ex-inmates are released into play a part in their likelihood to re-offend; release of African American ex-inmates into communities with higher levels of [[racial inequality in the United States|racial inequality]] (i.e. communities where poverty and joblessness affect members of one ethnicity more so than others) has been shown to be correlated with higher rates of recidivism, possibly due to the ex-inmates being "isolated from employers, health care services, and other institutions that can facilitate a law-abiding reentry into society".<ref name=Reisig />

=====Reducing recidivism among African Americans=====

A cultural re-grounding of African Americans is important to improve self-esteem and help develop a sense of community.<ref>
Compare: {{cite journal |last1=Wooldredge |first1=John |last2=Hartman |first2=Jennifer |last3=Latessa |first3=Edward |last4=Holmes |first4=Stephen |title=Effectiveness of Culturally Specific Community Treatment for African American Juvenile Felons |journal=Crime & Delinquency |date=October 1994 |volume=40 |issue=4 |pages=589–98 |doi=10.1177/0011128794040004007 |s2cid=146477078 |quote=The Community Corrections Partnership (CCP) Program focuses on the cultural regrounding of African American boys to improve their self-esteem and help them to develop a sense of community. [...] This article presents results from a study of rearrests among juveniles who have completed the program and a comparison group of youths who underwent probation. The findings revealed that CCP did no better than regular probation for preventing recidivism among these juveniles. }}
</ref>
Culturally specific programs and services that focus on characteristics that include the target population values, beliefs, and styles of problem solving may be beneficial in reducing recidivism among African American inmates;{{citation needed|date=October 2014}} programs involving social skills training and social problem solving could also be effective.<ref name="onlinelibrary.wiley.com">{{cite journal |last1= Sbicca |first1=Joshua |year=2016 |title= These Bars Can't Hold Us Back: Plowing Incarcerated Geographies with Restorative Food Justice |journal= Antipode |volume=48 |issue=5 |pages= 1359–79 |doi=10.1111/anti.12247|bibcode=2016Antip..48.1359S }}</ref>

For example, research shows that treatment effectiveness should include cognitive-behavioral and social learning techniques of modeling, role playing, reinforcement, extinction, resource provision, concrete verbal suggestions (symbolic modeling, giving reasons, prompting) and cognitive restructuring; the effectiveness of the intervention incorporates a relapse prevention element.  Relapse prevention is a cognitive-behavioral approach to self-management that focuses on teaching alternate responses to high-risk situations.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Dowden |first1= Craig |first2=Daniel |last2= Antonowicz |first3=D.A. |last3= Andrews |title= The effectiveness of relapse prevention with offenders |journal= International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology |date= October 2003 |pages=516–28 |volume=47 |issue=5 |doi= 10.1177/0306624x03253018 |pmid= 14526593 |s2cid= 26561127 }}</ref> Research also shows that [[restorative justice]] approaches to rehabilitation and reentry coupled with the therapeutic benefits of working with plants, say through urban agriculture, lead to psychosocial healing and reintegration into one's former community.<ref name="onlinelibrary.wiley.com"/>

Several theories suggest that access to low-skill employment among parolees is likely to have favorable outcomes, at least over the short term, by strengthening internal and external social controls that constrain behavior toward legal employment.  Any legal employment upon release from prison may help to tip the balance of economic choice toward not needing to engage in criminal activity.<ref name="Kowalski">{{cite journal |last1= Kowalski |first1=Brian R |first2=Paul E |last2= Bellair |title= Low-Skill Employment Opportunity and African American-White Difference in Recidivism |date= May 2011 |volume= 48 |issue=2 |page=183 |doi= 10.1177/0022427810391536 |journal= Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency|s2cid=145407579 }}</ref> Employment as a turning point enhances attachment and commitment to mainstream individuals and pursuits. From that perspective, ex-inmates are constrained from criminal acts because they are more likely to weigh the risk of severing social ties prior to engaging in illegal behavior and opt to refuse to engage in criminal activity.<ref name="Kowalski" />

In 2015, a bipartisan effort, headed by [[Koch family foundations]] and the [[ACLU]], reforms to reduce recidivism rates among low-income minority communities were announced with major support across political ideologies. [[Barack Obama|President Obama]] has praised these efforts who noted the unity will lead to an improved situation of the prison system.<ref name=dbeast>{{cite news |last=Mak |first=Tim |title=Koch Bros to Bankroll Prison Reform |newspaper=The Daily Beast |date=13 January 2015 |url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/01/13/koch-bros-to-bankroll-prison-reform.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160221075317/http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/01/13/koch-bros-to-bankroll-prison-reform.html |archive-date=21 February 2016 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Nelson |first=Colleen Mccain; Fields, Gary |title=Obama, Koch Brothers in Unlikely Alliance to Overhaul Criminal Justice |work=Wall Street Journal |date=16 July 2015 |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/obama-koch-brothers-in-unlikely-alliance-to-overhaul-criminal-justice-1437090737 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170216192938/https://www.wsj.com/articles/obama-koch-brothers-in-unlikely-alliance-to-overhaul-criminal-justice-1437090737 |archive-date=16 February 2017 }}</ref>

There is greater indication that education in prison helps prevent reincarceration.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Keeping it REAL: Why Congress Must Act to Restore Pell Grant Funding For Prisoners |journal=University of Massachusetts Law Review |date=2016 |volume=11 |issue=1 |url=https://scholarship.law.umassd.edu/umlr/vol11/iss1/3/ |ssrn=2711979 }}</ref>

==Studies==
There have been hundreds of studies on the relationship between correctional interventions and recidivism.  These studies show that a reliance on only supervision and punitive sanctions can actually increase the likelihood of someone reoffending, while well-implemented prison and reentry programs can substantially reduce recidivism.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Lipsey |first1=Mark W. |last2=Cullen |first2=Francis T. |title=The Effectiveness of Correctional Rehabilitation: A Review of Systematic Reviews |journal=Annual Review of Law and Social Science |date=December 2007 |volume=3 |issue=1 |pages=297–320 |doi=10.1146/annurev.lawsocsci.3.081806.112833 }}</ref> Counties, states, and the federal government will often commission studies on trends in recidivism, in addition to research on the impacts of their programming.

=== Minnesota ===
The [[Minnesota Department of Corrections]] did a study on criminals who are in prison to see if rehabilitation during incarceration correlates with recidivism or saved the state money.  They used the Minnesota's Challenge Incarceration Program (CIP) which consisted of three phases.  The first was a six-month institutional phase followed by two aftercare phases, each lasting at least six months, for a total of about eighteen months.  The first phase was the "boot camp" phase.  Here, inmates had daily schedules sixteen hours long where they participated in activities and showed discipline.  Some activities in phase one included physical training, manual labor, skills training, drug therapy, and transition planning.  The second and third phases were called "community phases".  In phase two the participants are on intensive supervised release (ISR).  ISR includes being in contact with your supervisor on a daily basis, being a full-time employee, keeping curfew, passing random drug and alcohol tests, and doing community service while continuing to participate completely in the program.  The final phase is phase three.  During this phase one is still on ISR and has to remain in the community while maintaining a full-time job.  They have to continue with community service and their participation in the program.  Once phase three is complete participants have "graduated" CIP.  They are then put on supervision until the end of their sentence.  Inmates who drop out or fail to complete the program are sent back to prison to serve the rest of their sentence. Information was gathered through a quasi experimental design.  This compared the recidivism rates of the CIP participants with a control group.  The findings of the study have shown that the CIP program did not significantly reduce the chances of recidivism.  However, CIP did increase the amount of time before rearrest.  Moreover, CIP early release graduates lower the costs for the state by millions every year.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Duwe |first1=Grant |last2=Kerschner |first2=Deborah |title=Removing a Nail From the Boot Camp Coffin: An Outcome Evaluation of Minnesota's Challenge Incarceration Program |journal=Crime & Delinquency |date=October 2008 |volume=54 |issue=4 |pages=614–643 |doi=10.1177/0011128707301628 }}</ref>

=== Kentucky ===
A study was done by Robert Stanz in [[Jefferson County, Kentucky]], which discussed an alternative to jail time.  The alternative was "[[House arrest|home incarceration]]" in which the defendant would complete his or her time at home instead of in jail. According to the study: "Results show that the majority of offenders do successfully complete the program, but that a majority are also re-arrested within 5 years of completion."<ref name="autogenerated2000">{{cite journal |last1=Stanz |first1=Robert |year=2000 |title=Predictors of Success and Recidivism in a Home Incarceration Program |journal=Prison Journal |volume=80 |issue= 3|pages=326–45 |doi=10.1177/0032885500080003006|s2cid=145251818 }}</ref> In doing this, they added to the rate of recidivism. In doing a study on the results of this program, Stanz considered age, race, neighborhood, and several other aspects.  Most of the defendants who fell under the recidivism category included those who were younger, those who were sentenced for multiple charges, those accruing fewer technical violations, males, and those of African-American descent.<ref name="autogenerated2000" /> In contrast, a study published by the ''African Journal of Criminology and Justice Studies'' in 2005 used data from the [[Louisiana]] Department of Public Safety and Corrections to examine 2,810 juvenile offenders who were released in the 1999/2000 fiscal year.
The study built a socio-demographic of the offenders who were returned to the correctional system within a year of release. There was no significant difference between black offenders and white offenders. The study concluded that race does not play an important role in juvenile recidivism. The findings ran counter to conventional beliefs on the subject, which may not have controlled for other variables.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Mbuba |first1=Jospeter |title=A Refutation of Racial Differentials in the Juvenile Recidivism Rate Hypothesis |journal=African Journal of Criminology and Justice Studies |date=November 2005 |volume=1 |issue=2 |id={{ProQuest|200336309}} |url=https://digitalscholarship.tsu.edu/ajcjs/vol1/iss2/3/ }}</ref>

=== Methadone maintenance therapy (MMT) ===

A study was conducted regarding the recidivism rate of inmates receiving MMT ([[Methadone]] Maintenance Therapy).  This therapy is intended to wean [[heroin]] users from the drug by administering small doses of methadone, thereby avoiding withdrawal symptoms. 589 inmates who took part in MMT programs between 22 November 2005 and 31 October 2006 were observed after their release. Among these former inmates, "there was no statistically significant effect of receiving methadone in the jail or dosage on subsequent recidivism risks".<ref>{{cite journal |last1=McMillan |first1=Garnett P. |last2=Lapham |first2=Sandra |last3=Lackey |first3=Michael |title=The effect of a jail methadone maintenance therapy (MMT) program on inmate recidivism |journal=Addiction |date=December 2008 |volume=103 |issue=12 |pages=2017–2023 |doi=10.1111/j.1360-0443.2008.02361.x |pmid=19469745 }}</ref>

=== United States, nationwide ===
Male prisoners are exposed and subject to sexual and physical violence in prisons.  When these events occur, the victim usually suffers emotionally and physically. Studies suggest that this leads the inmate to accept these types of behaviors and value their lives and the lives of others less when they are released.  These dehumanizing acts, combined with learned violent behavior, are implicated in higher recidivism rates.<ref name="Bailey, Kristen 2009">{{cite magazine |last1=Bailey |first1=Kristen |title=The Causes of Recidivism in the Criminal Justice System and Why It Is Worth the Cost to Address Them |magazine=Nashville Bar Journal |date=Winter 2006 |url=https://www.bakerdonelson.com/files/The-Causes-of-Recidivism-in-the-Criminal-2007-1-30.pdf }}</ref> Two studies were done to attempt to provide a "national" recidivism rate for the US.  One was done in 1983 which included 108,580 state prisoners from 11 different states.  The other study was done in 1994 on 272,111 prisoners from 15 states.  Both studies represent two-thirds of the overall prisoners released in their corresponding years.<ref>{{cite web |author=Bureau of Justice Statistics |title=Bureau of Justice Statistics Reentry Trends in the U.S.: Recidivism |url=http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/reentry/recidivism.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090426042258/http://ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs//reentry/recidivism.htm |archive-date=26 April 2009 |publisher=US Dept. of Justice |date=25 October 2002 |access-date=26 May 2014}}</ref> An image developed by Matt Kelley indicates the percent of parolees returning to prison in each state in 2006.  According to this image, in 2006, there was more recidivism in the southern states, particularly in the Midwestern region.  However, for the majority, the data is spread out throughout the regions.

=== Rikers Island, New York, New York ===
The recidivism rate in the [[New York City]] jail system is as high as 65%.  The jail at [[Rikers Island]], in [[New York (state)|New York]], is making efforts to reduce this statistic by teaching horticulture to its inmates.  It is shown that the inmates that go through this type of [[rehabilitation (penology)|rehabilitation]] have significantly lower rates of recidivism.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Jiler |first1=James |title=Doing Time in the Garden: Life Lessons Through Prison Horticulture |date=2006 |publisher=New Village Press |isbn=978-0-9766054-2-3 }}{{page needed|date=June 2024}}</ref>

=== Arizona and Nevada ===
A study by the [[University of Nevada, Reno]] on recidivism rates across the United States showed that, at only 24.6 percent, [[Arizona]] has the lowest rate of recidivism among offenders compared to all other US states.<ref name="lasvegassun.com">{{cite news |first=Cy |last=Ryan |url=http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2008/aug/20/study-suggests-nevada-prisons-do-pretty-good-job-p/ |title=Study suggests Nevada prisons do pretty good job of preventing recidivism |work=[[Las Vegas Sun]] |access-date=14 September 2009 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091114055232/http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2008/aug/20/study-suggests-nevada-prisons-do-pretty-good-job-p/ |archive-date=14 November 2009 }}</ref> [[Nevada]] has one of the lowest rates of recidivism among offenders at only 29.2 percent.<ref name="lasvegassun.com" />

=== California ===
The recidivism rate in [[California]] as of 2008–2009 is 61%.<ref name="2013 Outcome Evaluation">California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, [http://www.cdcr.ca.gov/Adult_Research_Branch/Research_Documents/ARB_FY_0809_Recidivism_Report_02.10.14.pdf "2013 Outcome Evaluation"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170822012507/http://www.cdcr.ca.gov/Adult_Research_Branch/Research_Documents/ARB_FY_0809_Recidivism_Report_02.10.14.pdf |date=22 August 2017 }}, "California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Office of Research", January 2014</ref> Recidivism has reduced slightly in [[California]] from the years of 2002 to 2009 by 5.2%.<ref name="2013 Outcome Evaluation"/> However, California still has one of the highest recidivism rates in the nation. This high recidivism rate contributes greatly to the overcrowding of jails and prisons in California.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://gov.ca.gov/index.php?/issue/sgp-backpage/sgp-prison-reform |title=Strategic Growth Plan |publisher=Office of Governor (California) |access-date=14 September 2009 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090911153742/http://www.gov.ca.gov/index.php?%2Fissue%2Fsgp-backpage%2Fsgp-prison-reform |archive-date=11 September 2009 }}</ref>

=== Connecticut ===
A study conducted in [[Connecticut]] followed 16,486 prisoners for a three-year period to see how many of them would end up going back to jail. Results from the study found that about 63% of offenders were rearrested for a new crime and sent to prison again within the first three years they were released.  Of the 16,486 prisoners, about 56% of them were convicted of a new crime.<ref>{{cite web |author=Office of Policy Management |title=Recidivism Study |url=https://portal.ct.gov/opm/cj-about/cj-sac/cj-research-sac/recidivism-study/recidivisim-study |publisher=State of Connecticut |date=6 January 2009 |access-date=14 September 2009 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100616110200/http://www.ct.gov/opm/cwp/view.asp?a=2976&q=383710 |archive-date=16 June 2010 }}</ref>

=== Florida ===
In 2001, the [[Florida]] Department of Corrections created a graph showing the general recidivism rate of all offenders released from prison from July 1993 until six and a half years later.  This graph shows that recidivism is much more likely within the first six months after they are released.  The longer the offenders stayed out of prison, the less likely they were to return.<ref>{{cite book |author=Florida Department of Corrections |chapter-url=http://www.dc.state.fl.us/pub/recidivism/2001/curves.html |chapter=Recidivism Rate Curves |title=Recidivism Report |date=May 2001 |publisher=State of Florida |access-date=14 September 2009 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100315032441/http://www.dc.state.fl.us/pub/recidivism/2001/curves.html |archive-date=15 March 2010 }}</ref>

== See also ==
{{div col|colwidth=23em}}
* [[Addiction]]
* [[Bastøy Prison]]
* [[Crime statistics]]
* [[Habitual offender]]
* [[Incapacitation (penology)]]
* [[Incarceration]]
* [[Positive criminology]]
* [[Serial killer]]
* [[Serial offender hunting patterns]]
{{div col end}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{cite EB1911|wstitle=Recidivism |volume=22 |short=x}}
* [http://www.hudsonlink.org Higher Education in Prison] at Hudson link 
* [http://www.rikosseuraamus.fi/25234.htm Recidivism in Finland 1993–2001] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050414165003/http://www.rikosseuraamus.fi/25234.htm |date=14 April 2005 }}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120419032412/http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/reentry/recidivism.cfm United States Recidivism Statistics]
* [http://www.bjs.gov/index.cfm?ty=datool&surl=/recidivism/index.cfm# Prisoner Recidivism] [[Bureau of Justice Statistics]]
* [https://www.recidivism.com recidivism.com] Curated articles and data
* {{cite journal |last1=Yukhnenko |first1=Denis |last2=Farouki |first2=Leen |last3=Fazel |first3=Seena |title=Criminal recidivism rates globally: A 6-year systematic review update |journal=Journal of Criminal Justice |date=September 2023 |volume=88 |article-number=102115 |doi=10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2023.102115 |pmid=38486817 |pmc=10933794 }}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Criminology]]
[[Category:Penology]]
[[Category:Imprisonment and detention]]

[[fr:Récidive (droit français)]]