NCJ Number
138498
Journal
British Journal of Criminology Volume: 32 Issue: 3 Dated: (Summer 1992) Pages: 329-339
Date Published
1992
Length
11 pages
Annotation
Reconviction rates were analyzed for 966 cases from 38 probation day centers to determine center effectiveness on a national basis.
Abstract
A total of 606 offenders (63 percent) had been reconvicted of another offense at least once within 24 months of being convicted and ordered to attend a probation day center; during the same period, 31 percent were reconvicted a second time, 15 percent for a third time, 6 percent for a fourth time, and 2 percent for a fifth time. There was a strong relationship between age and reconviction and the number of previous convictions and reconviction. During the second 12 months, the rate of reconviction decreased significantly. Differences in reconviction rates among probation day centers may be attributable to some extent to differences in kinds of offenders accepted by the centers as well as differences in other factors such as the length of the order, the staff, and the integration of the center into mainstream probation work. Taking such factors into account as the many problematic issues associated with reconviction rates and the fact that penal disposals should not be judged in terms of reconviction rates alone, probation day centers are concluded to be a qualified success. 1 figure, 3 tables, and 16 references