NCJ Number
219642
Journal
The Prison Journal Volume: 87 Issue: 2 Dated: June 2007 Pages: 171-194
Date Published
June 2007
Length
24 pages
Annotation
This study examined the recidivism rate of offenders receiving community service (CS) sentences relative to that of a comparison group of offenders sentenced using a traditional community-based sanction, criminal fines.
Abstract
The results for post-program recidivism presented in this study support the use of CS over another community-based sanction typically used with comparable types of less serious offenders, specifically traditional monetary fines. On a broader level, the apparent success of this CS program at reducing recidivism underlines the utility of innovative, alternative sanctioning efforts in general, in contrast to the reliance on incarcerative sentences. Although CS has been employed as a sanction for relatively less serious offenders in the United States for nearly 40 years, it is still a comparatively new and under researched form of correctional intervention. With this understanding, this study examined the recidivism rate of 200 offenders receiving CS sentences relative to that of a more appropriate comparison sample of 222 offenders sentenced using a traditional community-based sanction, criminal fines. The study expands previous research by asking three distinct questions. First, do CS offenders recidivate at lower rates than do fined offenders? Second, what factors are related to offending for offenders completing a CS sentence? Third, what impact does sentence type have on post-program recidivism? Tables and references