NCJ Number
11959
Date Published
1973
Length
48 pages
Annotation
INVESTIGATION OF TIME SERVED IN PRISON FOR SELECTED TYPES OF OFFENDERS, AND ASSESSMENT OF EFFECTS OF THE LENGTH OF TIME SERVED ON RECIDIVISM RATES OF THE OFFENDERS.
Abstract
THE AUTHORS DESCRIBE THE WAYS IN WHICH TIME SERVED IN PRISON IMPACTS PAROLE PERFORMANCE. THE STUDY GROUP EXCEEDED 100,000 CASES WHO WERE PAROLED FOR THE FIRST TIME ON THEIR PRISON SENTENCES. STATISTICAL TECHNIQUES WERE EMPLOYED TO ACCOUNT FOR POSSIBLE EFFECTS OF VARIATION IN AGE AT ADMISSION TO PRISON, PRIOR RECORD OF NON-PRISON SENTENCES AND TYPE OF COMMITMENT OFFENSE. PAROLE OUTCOME WAS GATHERED FOR A ONE YEAR FOLLOW-UP PERIOD ACROSS ALMOST ALL STATE ADULT PAROLE AGENCIES IN THE UNITED STATES USING COMMON PAROLE PERFORMANCE DEFINITIONS. GREAT VARIATIONS IN MEDIAN TIME SERVED VALUES WERE NOTED ACROSS OFFENSE GROUPINGS. THESE WERE ACCOMPANIED BY LARGE DIFFERENCES IN PROPORTIONS WITH FAVORABLE PAROLE OUTCOMES. PERSONS WITH PRIOR RECORDS TEND TO SERVE MORE TIME IN PRISON THAN THOSE WITHOUT. INTRODUCTION OF STATISTICAL CORRECTION FOR THE INFLUENCE OF AGE CHANGED PAROLE-OUTCOME-BY-TIME-SERVED FIGURES NEGLIGIBLY. DIFFERENCES IN PAROLE PERFORMANCE BY THOSE IN SHORT TIME SERVED CATEGORIES AND THOSE IN LONG TIME SERVED CATEGORIES WERE NEITHER CONSISTENT NOR LARGE. THE DATA LEND SOME WEIGHT TO THE IDEA THAT PAROLEES WHO SERVE LONGER TERMS DO LESS WELL UNDER SUPERVISION, AND HYPOTHESES RELATED TO THIS CIRCUMSTANCE ARE EXPLORED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)