This document examines whether residential mobility affects recidivism through changes in both housing types and neighborhood characteristics; it describes the research study’s methodology, findings, and implications; and notes mixed results from community-level measures.
The impact of housing and individual residential mobility on recidivism is nuanced. Individuals may move from prosocial environments to criminogenic environments, or from neighborhoods that are more, or less, socioeconomically disadvantaged. The authors explore these phenomena using data on individuals on parole in the District of Columbia with community-level Census data. They hypothesize that residential mobility will affect recidivism through changes in both housing types and neighborhood characteristics. Findings suggest that people immediately placed into treatment-oriented or transitional housing had lower rates of rearrest than those in other housing situations. Results of the community-level measures of social disorganization were mixed. (Published Abstract Provided)