NCJ Number
86011
Journal
Canadian Journal of Criminology Volume: 24 Issue: 4 Dated: (October 1982) Pages: 439-452
Date Published
1982
Length
14 pages
Annotation
Recidivism rates are of little value as measures of corrections effectiveness because, by showing the percentage of reconvicted or reincarcerated offenders, they merely represent the rate of recapture by the criminal justice system.
Abstract
Recividism rates have no validity in measuring the repetition of delinquent acts. Interpreted as rates of recapture, however, they may become an important information source regarding criminal justice policy. They furnish insights into the way the penal system resupplies itself by perpetuating a constant flow of its prime clients. Thus, these rates become indispensable for analyzing the system's functioning, particularly in identifying the characteristics of clientele it continually recaptures. The rates are also a useful instrument in elaborating what control strategies are being used and when enforcement activities are being diminished. They may permit the identification of certain target populations which may be in particular need of assistance and support or those who should not come under the authority of the criminal justice system. Finally, recapture rates can also be used in the impact evaluation of criminal justice policies.