Comparing Traffic and Non-Traffic Offenders Incarcerated in and Released From an Oregon State Correctional Institution in 1980 or 1981 - A Statistical Study

• NCJ Number: 101008
• Author(s): J P Heuser
• Date Published: 1985
• Length: 79 pages
• Corporate Author: Oregon Crime Analysis Ctr
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/; NCJRS Photocopy Services
• Publication Type: Statistics
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This Oregon study compares the demographic, social, and criminal history characteristics as well as recidivism patterns of traffic and nontraffic offenders released from an Oregon State prison between January 1, 1980, and December 31, 1981.

Abstract

The sample of 2,857 releasees was tracked for 3 years from release. Data were obtained on all 205 traffic offenders and on a nontraffic offender comparison group of similar size randomly selected from the nontraffic offenders in the sample. Traffic offenders were slightly more likely to be males and significantly more likely to be nonwhites. Traffic offenders had significantly more reported offenses in their criminal histories, especially traffic offenses, more incarcerations, and more probation supervision periods than nontraffic offenders. They were less likely than the nontraffic offenders to have escaped from prison or to have a parole revocation. Eighty-three percent of the traffic offenders and 26 percent of the nontraffic offenders had been arrested at least once on charges of driving while intoxicated. Of the total sample of releasees, 29.5 percent were returned to prison within the 3-year period. Of the traffic offenders, 27.3 percent recidivated. They were more likely than other offenders to be reincarcerated for the same (most serious) offense for which they were initially imprisoned. Tabular data.