NCJ Number
142822
Date Published
1991
Length
67 pages
Annotation
This study investigated a group of 10,295 inmates released from facilities of New York State's Department of Correctional Services during 1985 and followed over the 5-year period between 1985 and 1990 to determine the number subsequently returned to prison.
Abstract
Of the 10,295 inmates released in 1985, 4,944 (48 percent) returned to custody within 5 years, 25.4 percent as new commitments and 22.6 percent for parole violations. People released via parole tended to have a lower rate of return (47.9 percent) than conditional releasees (50.7 percent). Of the 4,944 returned, the largest portion (58.6 percent) were returned within 24 months. Among 8,467 offenders released via parole, 23.3 percent were returned for new felony convictions, while 24.5 percent were returned for parole violations. Among conditional releases, 33 percent were returned for new felonies, while 17.7 percent were returned for parole violations. Women had a much lower rate of return (31 percent) than males (48.8 percent). The number of women returned for new felonies (13 percent) was substantially lower than the number of males returned for new felonies (25.9 percent). Offenses with higher-than-average return rates included robbery, burglary, and stolen property. Offenses with return rates below the average were murder, homicide, assault, sex crimes, arson, forgery, drugs, and other felonies. Inmates who were younger at the time of release had higher return rates. Offenders of Hispanic origin returned at a rate of 55 percent, while the return rates for black and white offenders were 53.4 and 44.9 percent, respectively. Among offenders returned for new felonies, the proportion returned for drug crimes rose from 8 percent in 1978 to 22.3 percent in 1985. Tabular data on releases between 1972 and 1989 are appended. Tables and figures