NCJ Number
89477
Date Published
1976
Length
86 pages
Annotation
This North Carolina study found that those most likely to recidivate are young white alcoholic or hard-drug users, whose release was unsupervised and who had a large number of previous convictions.
Abstract
To be an alcoholic or user of hard drugs was found to decrease the length of time after release from prison until the first conviction (LTFCV) as well as the length of time after release from prison until the first conviction resulting in a North Carolina prison sentence (LTFPCV). This factor increased the total length of all State prison sentences received as a result of subsquent offenses (TTSENT). While this factor increased the probability of receiving recidivist prison sentences for both a misdemeanor (MISD) and felony (FLNY) relative to no prison sentence (NONE), the probability of MISD increased more than that of FLNY. While the probability of property crime (PROP), crime against persons (PERS), and other crimes (OTHER) increased relative to no crimes (NONE), the probability of PERS and OTHER was greatest. Being white decreased LTFCV and LTFPCV and increased TTSENT, while increasing the probability of MISD and OTHER. Those with more previous prison convictions had smaller values of LTFCV and LTFPCV and a larger value of TTSENT, but this factor did not appear to have much effect on the type of recidivist activity. The older person tended to have a larger value of LTFCV and LTFPCV and a smaller value of TTSENT. A person who was supervised upon release tended to have a larger value of LTFCV and LTFPCV, but no significant effect was shown for TTSENT. Tabular data are provided.