NCJ Number
53715
Date Published
1978
Length
48 pages
Annotation
FOLLOWUP DATA WERE GATHERED OVER A 6-YEAR PERIOD FOR 1,806 FEDERAL PRISONERS RELEASED TO THE COMMUNITY DURING THE FIRST PART OF 1970, WITH THREE FORMS OF RELEASE INCLUDED (PAROLE, MANDATORY, AND SENTENCE EXPIRATION).
Abstract
THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION COOPERATED IN THE DATA COLLECTION EFFORT, AND DATA FOR THE PRISONERS WERE CODED ON A SHEET ADOPTED AFTER A PRETEST. FAVORABLE OUTCOME WAS DEFINED AS NO CRIMINAL ARREST, NO PAROLE VIOLATION WARRANT, AND NO DEATH WHILE COMMITTING A CRIMINAL ACT. UNFAVORABLE OUTCOME WAS DEFINED TO ENCOMPASS ANY ONE OR MORE OF THE PRECEDING NEGATIVE INDICATIONS DURING THE FOLLOWUP PERIOD THAT LED TO ARREST. BY THE END OF THE 6-YEAR PERIOD, 1,129 CASES OR 62.5 PERCENT OF THE SAMPLE HAD BEEN ARRESTED AT LEAST ONCE FOR A CRIMINAL CHARGE OR FOR A PAROLE VIOLATION. IN 738 CASES, MORE THAN ONE CRIMINAL ARREST WAS RECORDED. OVERALL, THERE WERE MORE THAN 2,788 SEPARATE CRIMINAL ARRESTS. CONVICTIONS ON CRIMINAL CHARGES WERE RECORDED FOR 751 CASES. FOR 736 CASES, A NEW COMMITMENT OF 60 DAYS OR MORE OR RETURN TO PRISON AS A PAROLE VIOLATOR WAS NOTED. A NEW PRISON COMMITMENT WAS SUSTAINED IN 497 CASES. THE RATE OF ARREST FOR THE ENTIRE SAMPLE WAS HIGHEST DURING THE FIRST YEAR. PERSONS ARRESTED DURING THE FIRST YEAR DID NOT APPEAR TO HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY MORE SERIOUS FIRST ARRESTS THAN PERSONS ARRESTED IN LATER YEARS. THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS FOR PAROLE AGENCY POLICY FORMULATION AND GUIDANCE ARE DISCUSSED. SUPPORTING DATA, FOOTNOTES, AND THE FOLLOWUP INFORMATION SHEET ARE INCLUDED. (DEP)