NCJ Number
177099
Date Published
1998
Length
131 pages
Annotation
After an overview and analysis of the changes in the French prison population over the last 20 years, this report presents the findings of the latest research on the recidivism of long- term prisoners in France.
Abstract
The French prison population is on the increase. Between January 1975 and January 1995, the number of inmates increased from 26,032 to 51,623 in metropolitan France. By May 1, 1995, that figure had reached a record high of 55,479. In examining the reasons for this trend, the report discusses entry flows and detention length, longer detention elapsed time, structure according to type of offense committed, remand, foreign prisoners, and alternatives to long prison sentences. A review of the research on recidivism begins with an overview of such research since 1980. The report then turns to an analysis of the cohort of prisoners who were sentenced to at least 3 years in prison and who were released in 1982. Using a stratified sampling method, 1,157 records were selected and analyzed out of a total of 2,654. An examination of criminal records found that approximately 50 percent of the ex-inmates had been convicted of at least one new offense within 4 years after release. The average time between release and the commission of a new offense was 1 year and 1 month. The study also examined the types of offenses committed after release compared to the original offense. The report concludes with a discussion of future lines of research on recidivism. 50 tables and a 185-item bibliography