NCJ Number
242421
Date Published
January 2013
Length
28 pages
Annotation
This is the Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing's second Legislative Report on the Recidivism Risk Reduction Incentive (RRRI) Program.
Abstract
This report provides information on offenders sentenced to RRRI; offenders released with a RRRI sentence; and findings from the first recidivism study on RRRI offenders. Results indicate that about 25 percent of the offenders sentenced to the Department of Corrections had a RRRI sentence; the RRRI offender was more likely than the non-RRRI offender to be convicted of drug, theft and DUI offenses, and had lower minimum sentences imposed; most RRRI offenders were approved for parole under their RRRI minimum sentence; while only a small percentage of offenders were released at their RRRI minimum, most were released prior to the expiration of their regular minimum sentence; short minimum sentences resulting in the inability of offenders to complete their programming was a major reason that offenders could not be released at the expiration of their RRRI minimum sentence; about 25 percent of the RRRI sentences were 6 months or less; 49 percent were less than 1 year; and the recidivism rate of RRRI offenders was slightly higher than a comparison group after 6 months 16 percent vs. 14 percent; 1 year 30 percent vs. 27 percent; and 2 years 44percent vs. 42 percent. Regarding specific types of recidivism, RRRI offenders were more likely to have technical violations resulting in a return to prison, while the non-RRRI offender was more likely to have a new arrest. Tables, figures, and appendixes