Recidivism Reports - Office of Research (2024)

FAQs

Which state has the highest recidivism rate? ›

Delaware, Alaska, and Arkansas, with recidivism rates of 64.5%, 63.2%, and 57%, respectively, have the highest rates in the country.

The best individual predictors were "criminogenic" need variables (i.e., attitudes, values, and behaviours that support a criminal lifestyle, r = . 18), criminal history (r = . 16), social achievement (employment, education, r = . 13), age/gender/race (r = .

Why is the recidivism rate so high in the prison system? The causes of recidivism are complex, but common factors include lack of employment opportunities, substance abuse issues, and inadequate support systems post-release. Addressing these factors holistically can contribute to reducing recidivism.

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."

Recidivism rates are high across all race and ethnicity groups. As of 2017, American Indians and Alaska Natives face the highest levels of recidivism at 79% but are 1% of the total prison population. Black prisoners have the second-highest recidivism rate, at 74% over five years, and are about 40% of total prisoners.

Among violent offenders, inmates who committed robbery and assault had the highest rates of recidivism. Over 70 percent of them were rearrested within three years after discharge from prison, half were subsequently reconvicted, and 25 percent were sent back to prison.

Violent offenders have higher recidivism rates than non-violent offenders in every Criminal History Category, however, the difference in recidivism rates between violent and non-violent offenders is most pronounced in the lower Criminal History Categories and among offenders designated as career offenders or armed ...

Over 80% of convicted drug offenders will get arrested again within nine years of their prior offense. The only group that re-offends at a higher rate includes those accused of theft and other property crimes. The recidivism rate for property crimes is closer to 90%.

What can increase recidivism? ›

Researchers have attributed recidivism to a plethora of factors ranging from criminal peers to social stigmatization and inadequate skills necessary for employment.

The four principles are: base supervision, service, and resource-allocation decisions on the results of validated risk and needs assessments; adopt and effectively implement programs and services demonstrated to reduce recidivism and improve other youth outcomes, and use data to evaluate system performance and direct ...

Overall – Offender demographics. The age group with the highest reoffending rate was 10 to 14-year-olds (35.4%). Men reoffended at a higher rate (26.4%) than women (20.2%).

Scandinavian countries are often considered models of successful incarceration practices, particularly Norway which, at 20%, has one of the lowest recidivism rates in the world. Here, too, the focus is far more on rehabilitation and less on punishment.

The single most important element in preventing recidivism for adult probationers and parolees is having strong family ties.

Since fewer of Florida's released inmates are supervised post-release, Florida's recidivism rate can be much lower than states that still release most of their inmates to parole.

“Virginia's low rate of recidivism is the result of the work of dedicated professionals within the VADOC in collaboration with law enforcement and other local and state partners,” said Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security Robert Mosier.

A 2021 Bureau of Justice Statistics study found that 66% of people released from prison in 24 different states in 2008 were re-arrested within three years. At the decade mark, 82% had been re-arrested.