NCJ Number
72451
Date Published
1980
Length
22 pages
Annotation
The recidivism rates for women released from Charlotte House, a Masachusetts correctional alternative geared to assisting women in social reintegration, were examined for the years 1977 and 1978.
Abstract
The study aimed to discover whether women who ended their terms of incarceration in Charlotte House were less likely to be reincarcerated within 1 year of their release than were similar types of individuals in Massachusetts who did not participate in the prerelease program. All 27 women released from Charlotte House during the years 1977 and 1978 were chosen for the study, with 1 year followups for all of them. Data collected consisted of criminal history, social background, commitment, and recidivism variables. In measuring the reduction of further criminal behavior, the standard used was recidivism rates. In 1977, 15 women were released directly to the streets, of whom 1 person returned for more than 30 days during the followup period, for a recidivism rate of 7 pecent. For 1978, 12 women were released and 1 recidivated, resulting in a recidivism rate of 8 percent. The combined sample produced a recidivism rate of 7 percent. Compared with recidivism rates at the Framingham Women's Prison, Charlotte House had a much lower rate (7 percent versus 23 percent), which was comparable to rates at other prerelease centers in general. The appendix contains a statistical description of characteristics of women released to the street from Charlotte House during 1977 and 1978 with corresponding recidivism rates. Footnotes, tables, and four references are included.