NCJ Number
239783
Date Published
September 2012
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This brief highlights significant statewide recidivism reductions achieved in Kansas, Michigan, Mississippi, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, and Vermont.
Abstract
This brief focuses on comparing the change in an individual State's recidivism rate from one period to another, as opposed to comparing that rate to another State's recidivism rate, or to the rate of recidivism nationally. For each State strategies are reviewed that the States believe have contributed to the decline in their recidivism rates. Also highlighted is significant statewide recidivism reductions achieved in Kansas, Michigan, Mississippi, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, and Vermont. For each State, 3-year post-release recidivism rates for two cohorts are compared for people exiting prison in 2005 and those released in 2007. This data is among the most current available for statewide 3-year recidivism rates. Some States saw particularly sharp reductions during this period, such as Kansas, which achieved a 15-percent decline, and Michigan, which saw an 18-percent drop. When measuring recidivism changes over a longer period of time, the reductions for some States are even more dramatic: Ohio's recidivism rate declined by 21 percent between 2003 and 2008, while Texas saw a drop of 22 percent between 2000 and 2007. Figures and appendixes