NCJ Number
232242
Journal
Victims & Offenders Volume: 5 Issue: 4 Dated: October-December 2010 Pages: 354-370
Date Published
October 2010
Length
17 pages
Annotation
This study examined whether recently released offenders who became attached to conventional social activities, such as marriage, were less likely to recidivate.
Abstract
The present study examines the influence of social bonds on recidivism for a random sample of 250 male offenders released from Texas prisons since 2001. Recidivism is a continuous variable, in which the researcher measured months between release from prison and reincarceration. Based on life-course theory, the researcher hypothesized that offenders released from prison who become employed or were married would have lower hazard ratios than offenders who were not employed or married. Results from survival analyses indicate recidivists who obtained employment upon release had longer crime-free periods before recidivating than recidivists who did not obtain employment. This is potentially important when considering desistance from crime as a process, since the offenders exhibited initial motivation, commitment, and behavioral change. Tables, figures, and references (Published Abstract)