NCJ Number
150610
Date Published
1994
Length
93 pages
Annotation
This reports presents the outcomes of a Dutch comparative study in recidivism among a sample of 902 persons sentenced to community service and a sample of 946 persons, matched by age, gender, and native country, who had committed similar offenses but were sentenced to short prison terms.
Abstract
Of this matched comparison group, approximately 75 percent received an unconditional prison sentence of 6 months or less, while the remaining 25 percent received a suspended prison sentence of 6 months maximum. Records of offenses and reconvictions were used to study the nature and extent of recidivism among the two samples. The major finding of the study was that community service was imposed upon persons who generally had fewer and less severe judicial contacts than had persons who were convicted to an unconditional prison sentence. However, the similarity between the two groups suggests a considerable net-widening effect of community service in 1987. The results suggest that offenders who received sentences of community service did have a lower recidivism rate than those who served short prison terms. 14 tables, 16 figures, 61 notes, 7 references, and 3 appendixes