NCJ Number
50158
Date Published
1978
Length
26 pages
Annotation
DATA COLLECTED ON 200 PERSONS CONVICTED OF BURGLARY FOLLOWING 1975 ARRESTS IN IDAHO ARE PRESENTED, AND THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RECIDIVISM AND THE TYPES OF CONVICTION IS EXAMINED.
Abstract
AS A RESULT OF THE SIX-AREA STUDIES OF 1975 ADULT BURGLARY AND ROBBERY ARRESTS IN IDAHO, THE STATISTICAL ANALYSIS CENTER OF THE IDAHO LAW ENFORCEMENT PLANNING COMMISSION IDENTIFIED 260 CONVICTED PERSONS, 59 OF WHOM HAD BEEN REARRESTED ON ONE OR MORE SUBSEQUENT FELONY CHARGES AS JULY 1, 1977, ACCORDING TO INFORMATION GLEANED FROM IDAHO CRIMINAL IDENTIFICATION BUREAU-FBI 'RAP SHEETS'. ALTHOUGH NOT ALL FELONY ARRESTS ARE ENTERED ON THESE RAP SHEETS, AND ENTRIES DO NOT NECESSARILY IMPLY GUILT OR CONVICTION, IT WAS FELT THAT THIS INFORMATION WAS THE BEST AVAILABLE INDICATOR OF RECIDIVISM. OF THE 212 ADULTS EVENTUALLY CONVICTED FOLLOWING THE 1975 BURGLARY ARRESTS, DATA FOR 12 WERE INSUFFICIENT TO TRACE THEIR CRIMINAL HISTORIES. PROBATION/PAROLE OFFICERS TO WHOM THE STUDY GROUP HAD BEEN ASSIGNED WERE INTERVIEWED AT LENGTH REGARDING THEIR OPINIONS ABOUT THE REARREST OF THE 41 RECIDIVISTS. OF THESE 41, ONLY 29 WERE WELL KNOWN TO SUPERVISING OFFICERS, AND NO INFORMATION WAS AVAILABLE ON 14 OF THEM. THE NUMBER OF RECIDIVISTS RECEIVING VARIOUS TYPES OF SENTENCES WAS ALSO DETERMINED. IT WAS CONCLUDED, FROM DATA AND INTERVIEWS, THAT APPROXIMATELY ONE-FOURTH OF IDAHO'S PROBATION OFFICERS' CASELOADS ARE COMPOSED OF INDIVIDUALS FOR WHOM NO VIABLE REHABILITATIVE EFFORTS CAN BE IDENTIFIED. THE 26 RECIDIVISTS FOR WHOM OFFICERS COULD IDENTIFY NO PREVENTIVE OR REHABILITATIVE MEASURES WERE ALL DESCRIBED AS INSUFFICIENTLY SOCIALIZED TO CONFORM TO LEGAL STANDARDS OF BEHAVIOR. THEY WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR NUMEROUS AND VARIED TYPES OF CRIMES. THERE WAS NOT ANY STRONG PATTERN OF RECIDIVISM BASED UPON TYPE OF CONVICTION, BUT THERE WERE PATTERNS BASED ON TYPE OF SENTENCE. PERSONS IMPRISONED FROM THE 1975 ARRESTS HAD MORE EXTENSIVE CRIMINAL HISTORIES THAN THOSE RECEIVING OTHER DISPOSITIONS. THE IMPLICATIONS OF THESE FINDINGS FOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE EXPENDITURES AND SENTENCING DECISIONMAKING ARE DISCUSSED. THIS STUDY SHOWS THAT IT IS DIFFICULT TO PREDICT RECIDIVISM FROM PRIOR RECORDS AND, IN TURN, IT IS DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE THE MOST REHABILITATIVE SENTENCE. DATA ARE TABULATED AND APPENDICES INCLUDE A SAMPLE OF THE QUESTIONNAIRE USED IN PROBATION AND PAROLE OFFICER INTERVIEWS, AND A NUMBER OF RECIDIVISM FLOW CHARTS. (RCB)