Men are From Mars, Women are From Venus, But What Role Does Gender Play in Probation Recidivism?

• NCJ Number: 204016
• Journal: Justice Research and Policy Volume: 5 Issue: 2 Dated: Fall 2003 Pages: 33-54
• Author(s): David E. Olson; Arthur J. Lurigio; Megan Alberden
• Editor(s): Timothy S. Bynum, Robert F. McManus
• Date Published: 2003
• Length: 22 pages
• Grant Number(s): 00-DB-MU-0017
• Sponsoring Agency: Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA)
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study examined the factors that predict recidivism for men and women, including variables such as demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, offense types, and sentence conditions.

Abstract

Prior research findings on the relationship between gender and probation performance have been inconsistent, and few studies have investigated whether the same predictor variables apply similarly to men and women, and if they varied between rearrests versus technical violations for each group. The purpose of this study, funded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, U.S. Department of Justice was to explore gender differences in probationers’ demographic characteristics, gang membership, drug use, living arrangements, levels of risk, conditions of supervision, and rates of recidivism and technical violations and examine whether different factors predict rearrests and technical violations for men and women probationers. The study consisted of every adult probationer discharged from supervision in Illinois during November 2000. Data were collected on nearly 3,400 adult probationers (2,636 males and 689 females). The study’s analytic approach involved a three-step model-building process. Findings indicate that gender plays an independent role in probation recidivism, with females being less likely to be rearrested, and also that fewer variables predict rearrests and technical violations among female versus male probationers. The findings also demonstrate that two of the variables, substance abuse and marital status, were associated with outcomes in both gender groups. Substance abuse had a slightly larger effect on female recidivism than it did on male recidivism. Lastly, the research revealed that females not only perform better on probation, but that they may be more responsive to some of the services available to probationers, such as substance abuse treatment or the deterrent effect of urinalysis. References