NCJ Number
37475
Date Published
1976
Length
17 pages
Annotation
RESULTS OF A STUDY DESIGNED TO DETERMINE THE RECIDIVIST TENDENCIES OF FEMALE OFFENDERS COMPLETING THE PRERELEASE PROGRAM AT A MASSACHUSETTS HALFWAY HOUSE.
Abstract
THE STUDY ALSO SOUGHT TO LEARN WHAT VARIABLES DISTINGUISH BETWEEN INDIVIDUALS WHO COMPLETE THE PROGRAM AND THOSE WHO DO NOT. IN DETERMINING THE EXISTENCE OF CHARACTERISTICS DISTINGUISHING BETWEEN PROGRAM COMPLETERS AND NON-COMPLETERS, A POPULATION CONSISTING OF RESIDENTS ADMITTED TO AND RELEASED FROM CHARLOTTE HOUSE FROM SEPTEMBER 1973 THROUGH DECEMBER 1975 WAS CHOSEN. IN MEASURING THE REDUCTION OF FURTHER CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR, A POPULATION CONSISTING OF ALL RESIDENTS RELEASED FROM CHARLOTTE HOUSE DURING 1973 AND 1974 WAS SELECTED. DATA ON COMMITMENT, SOCIAL BACKGROUND, CRIMINAL HISTORY, BOOKING, AND PROBATION WERE COLLECTED FROM COMPUTERIZED STATE CORRECTIONAL INFORMATION SYSTEMS. THE LACK OF STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN COMPLETERS AND NON-COMPLETERS FOR ANY OF THE VARIABLES IS ATTRIBUTED TO THE SMALL SAMPLE SIZE. COMPARISON OF THE RECIDIVISM RATE OF THE STUDY SAMPLE WITH THAT OF THE STATE'S ENTIRE PRISON POPULATION FOR 1972 YIELDED A MUCH LOWER RATE FOR CHARLOTTE HOUSE PARTICIPANTS. IT WAS CONCLUDED THAT, ON THE BASIS OF THESE RESULTS, THERE IS A REINTEGRATIVE OR REHABILITATIVE QUALITY AFFORDED TO PRERELEASE PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS THAT SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCES HIGH LEVELS OF RECIDIVISM ASSOCIATED WITH CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION RELEASES. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)