NCJ Number
59526
Date Published
1979
Length
100 pages
Annotation
A STUDY OF RECIDIVISM AMONG 384 MISDEMEANOR OFFENDERS IN ONE WASHINGTON COUNTY WAS CONDUCTED IN ORDER TO HELP JUDGES MAKE SENTENCING DECISIONS AND TO DETERMINE THE FEASIBILITY OF A RECIDIVISM RISK PREDICTION SCALE.
Abstract
RECIDIVISM OF OFFENDERS CONVICTED DURING 1976 OF ONE OF SIX TARGET OFFENSES (ASSAULT, SHOPLIFTING, UNLAWFUL ISSUANCE OF BANK CHECKS, DRIVING WHILE LICENSE SUSPENDED, RECKLESS DRIVING, AND DRIVING WHILE INTOXICATED WAS STUDIED BETWEEN AUGUST 1978 AND FEBRUARY 1979. RECIDIVISM WAS DEFINED AS OCCURRENCE OF A FELONY, MISDEMEANOR, OR CRIMINAL TRAFFIC OFFENSE IN THE 20 MONTHS FOLLOWING THE TARGET OFFENSE. A 177-ITEM DATA COLLECTION INSTRUMENT COMPILED COURT DOCKET AND FILE INFORMATION IN THREE AREAS: (1) OFFENSE AND SENTENCE CHARACTERISTICS, (2) CRIMINAL HISTORIES AND DRIVING RECORDS AND (3) OFFENDERS' DEMOGRAPHIC AND LIFE SITUATION CHARACTERISTICS. WHEN THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN RECIDIVISM AND THESE VARIABLES WERE COMPILED, THE MOST SIGNIFICANT VARIABLES WERE DRIVERS LICENSE STATUS AND PRIOR CRIMINAL RECORD. VARIABLES SIGNIFICANT AT THE 0.01 LEVEL WERE TARGET OFFENSE, AGE, SEX AND MARITAL STATUS. YOUNG, SINGLE MALES WERE MOST LIKELY TO RECIDIVATE. VARIABLES SIGNIFICANT AT THE 0.05 LEVEL WERE COURT, COUNSEL, RACE AND PRIOR JUVENILE ARRESTS. THE HIGH FREQUENCY WITH WHICH PROBLEMS OF BIASED, POTENTIALLY INACCURATE, MISSING, OR UNVERIFIABLE DATA WERE ENCOUNTERED PREVENTED DEVELOPMENT OF A PREDICTIVE SCALE THAT JUDGES COULD USE WITH CONFIDENCE. RECOMMENDED AREAS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH ARE (1) THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DRIVER'S LICENSE STATUS TO RECIDIVISM, (2) A COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION OF THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN SPECIFIC OFFENSES AND RECIDIVISM, AND (3) WAYS IN WHICH INFORMATION FLOW THROUGH THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM COULD BE MODIFIED TO ELIMINATE CURRENT INFORMATION DEFICIENCIES. APPENDIXES INCLUDE THE DATA COLLECTION INSTRUMENT, FORMS, AND TERMS USED. (CFW)