NCJ Number
119093
Date Published
1988
Length
5 pages
Annotation
Crime and recidivism in Zimbabwe apparently stem from economic deprivation related to unemployment, which in turn stems from lack of employment opportunities and low levels of education and occupational skill.
Abstract
Inadequate statistics prevent an accurate assessment of crime and recidivism in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe has a population of approximately 8.75 million, about half of whom are under the age of 15. The prison population in 1988 stands at 15,400. The data for this paper were derived from a pilot research project conducted jointly by the Zimbabwe Prison Service and the Law Department of the University of Zimbabwe from June to December 1986. During this period, all the persons (182) who had previously been released from prison and had been reimprisoned after committing other offenses were interviewed. Although the sample was too small to yield generalizations, those interviewed were predominantly male, between 18 and 40 years old; with little or no formal education; who were either never married, separated, or divorced; had several previous convictions; and were unemployed, unskilled laborers. Although there are no accurate recidivism statistics, prison officers believe it is quite high, particularly among property offenders.