NCJ Number
217998
Journal
Criminal Justice Policy Review Volume: 18 Issue: 1 Dated: March 2007 Pages: 31-50
Date Published
March 2007
Length
20 pages
Annotation
Utilizing data from Jackson County in Kansas City, MO, this study examined the recidivism rates of offenders sentenced to prison compared with those offenders sentenced to probation.
Abstract
The overall results of the study provide no support for the deterrent effect of imprisonment, either for all offenders or for offenders with stronger bonds to conventional society. The results revealed that offenders who were sentenced to prison had significantly higher recidivism rates than offenders placed on probation. The crime control policies sought during the past three decades rest largely on the philosophy of deterrence. Deterrence theory suggests that increasing the penalties for crime will lead to a reduction in crime. The question then is whether the increased penalties have produced the predicted reduction in crime. This study sought to test the validity of assertions that imprisonment is a more effective sanction than probation, particularly for offenders with high stakes in conformity and strong bonds to conventional society. The deterrent effect of imprisonment was evaluated by comparing recidivism rates for offenders sentenced to prisons with those offenders placed on probation. The overall objective of the study was to answer three questions: (1) are offenders who are sentenced to prison less likely to recidivate than offenders place on probation; (2) does imprisonment affect the timing of recidivism or do offenders who are sentenced to prison delay their return to crime longer than offenders who are placed on probation; and (3) is imprisonment a more effective deterrent for offenders with higher stakes in conformity? The study was conducted in Jackson County (Kansas City), MO with a final data file for the study of 1,077 offenders convicted of felonies in Jackson County Circuit Court in 1993. Tables, figure, notes, and references