NCJ Number
8610
Date Published
1972
Length
25 pages
Annotation
ATTEMPT TO DETERMINE INDICATORS FOR THE VARIOUS TYPES OF MEN WHO ARE MORE OR LESS LIKELY TO BE RETURNED TO CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS.
Abstract
A DISCUSSION OF THE USE OF RECIDIVISM AS A MEANS FOR EVALUATING THE 'SUCCESS' OR 'FAILURE' OF AN OFFENDER, AND AS AN INDICATOR OF THE OVERALL EFFECTIVENESS OF THE CORRECTIONAL SYSTEM. THE USE OF A STATISTICAL METHOD FOR ESTABLISHING BASE LEVELS OF RECIDIVISM EXPECTANCY IS EXAMINED. THE PROCEDURES EMPLOYED IN ANALYZING THE DATA ARE EXPLAINED AND A SHORT DECRIPTION OF THE BASE EXPECTANCY SAMPLE IS GIVEN. THE RESULTS OF THE STUDY ARE PRESENTED IN TABULAR FORM AND DISCUSSED. WHENEVER POSSIBLE, VARIOUS PATTERNS OF RECIDIVISM AMONG MEN RELEASED IN 1966 ARE COMPARED AND CONTRASTED WITH THOSE AMONG MEN RELEASED IN 1959-1960. THE NUMBER OF PRIOR OFFENSES EMERGED AS THE SINGLE MOST SIGNIFICANT VARIABLE IN THE NORFOLK STUDY. BOTH EARLY INVOLVEMENT IN LAW BREAKING ACTIVITIES AND EARLY CONTACT WITH THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM APPEAR TO BE STRONGLY RELATED TO THE PROSPECTS AN INDIVIDUAL HAS FOR BECOMING A RECIDIVIST. FOR ANALYSES OF RECIDIVISM AMONG MEN RELEASED FROM OTHER CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS IN MASSACHUSETTS, SEE NCJ008608 AND NCJ-008609.