SOCIETAL REINTEGRATION AND RECIDIVISM RATES

• NCJ Number: 52763
• Author(s): D P LECLAIR
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 11 pages
• Corporate Author: Massachusetts Dept of Correction
• Sale Source: Massachusetts Dept of Correction; National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THE IMPACT OF HOME FURLOUGH AND PRERELEASE CENTER PROGRAMS OF THE MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS ON RECIDIVISM IS MEASURED.

Abstract

IN 1972, THE MASSACHUSETTS STATE LEGISLATURE PASSED THE CORRECTIONAL REFORM ACT, WHICH PROVIDED FOR PROGRAMS TO AID THE REINTEGRATION OF THE OFFENDER INTO THE COMMUNITY UPON RELEASE FROM AN INSTITUTION. IN THE PRERELEASE PROGRAMS, THE ACT ALLOWS STATE PRISONERS WITHIN 18 MONTHS OF THEIR PAROLE ELIGIBILITY DATE TO BE PLACED IN SMALL COMMUNITY RESIDENTIAL CENTERS FOR THE REMAINDER OF THEIR PRISON TERMS. UNDER THE HOME FURLOUGH PROGRAM, INMATES ARE AUTHORIZED TO LEAVE THE CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION FOR UP TO 14 DAYS A YEAR, USUALLY 1 TO 3 DAYS AT A TIME, FOR VISITS WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS, JOB INTERVIEWS, AND OTHER ACTIVITIES ANTICIPATING THE DATE OF FINAL RELEASE. THE STUDY EXAMINES THE EFFECT OF THESE PROGRAMS ON RECIDIVISM, DEFINED AS THE RETURN OR SENTENCING OF AN OFFENDER TO A STATE OR FEDERAL CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION, A COUNTY HOUSE OF CORRECTION, OR A JAIL FOR 30 DAYS OR MORE WITHIN 1 YEAR OF THE SUBJECT'S RELEASE FROM PRISON. THE SAMPLE CONSISTED OF 3,244 MALES RELEASED FROM MASSACHUSETTS' STATE CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS DURING THE YEARS 1973 THROUGH 1976. THE POPULATION WAS DIVIDED INTO A TREATMENT SUBSAMPLE OF MALES RELEASED FROM PRERELEASE CENTERS AND A COMPARISON SUBSAMPLE OF MALES RELEASED DIRECTLY FROM CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS. IN COMPARING THE TWO GROUPS, NONRANDOM SAMPLE BIAS WAS FOUND NOT TO BE SIGNIFICANT. FOR THE 884 PERSONS PLACED IN A PRERELEASE CENTER, THE RECIDIVISM RATE WAS 11 PERCENT, WHILE THE 2,360 SUBJECTS RELEASED DIRECTLY FROM PRISON HAD A RECIDIVISM RATE OF 22 PERCENT. THE TOTAL SAMPLE WAS SUBSEQUENTLY DIVIDED INTO 4 GROUPS: (1) SUBJECTS PARTICIPATING IN BOTH PRERELEASE AND FURLOUGH PROGRAMS (769); (2) SUBJECTS NOT PARTICIPATING IN PRERELEASE BUT IN FURLOUGH PROGRAMS (1,393); (3) SUBJECTS IN PRERELEASE BUT NOT PARTICIPATING IN FURLOUGH PROGRAMS (115); AND (4) SUBJECTS PARTICIPATING IN NEITHER PRERELEASE NOR FURLOUGH PROGRAMS (967). THE GREATEST REDUCTION IN RECIDIVISM OCCURRED IN THE COMBINED SITUATION IN WHICH INDIVIDUALS PARTICIPATED IN BOTH FURLOUGH AND PRERELEASE PROGRAMS, WHILE INDIVIDUALS IN ONLY PRERELEASE PROGRAMS AND THOSE RELEASED DIRECTLY FROM PRISON HAD HIGHER RATES OF RECIDIVISM THAN EXPECTED. TABULAR DATA FROM THE STUDY ARE PROVIDED. (RCB)