NCJ Number
233265
Date Published
March 2005
Length
78 pages
Annotation
This analysis of prisoner reentry in Massachusetts examines the trends in incarceration and prisoner releases in the State, the characteristics of the State's adult and juvenile inmates who return to their communities, the geographic distribution of returning inmates, and the social and economic conditions of the communities that house the highest concentrations of returning inmates.
Abstract
The per capita rate of imprisonment in Massachusetts increased from 56 to 174 per 100,000 residents in the State between 1980 and 1998, an increase of nearly 311 percent. The State's prisoner release patterns reflect these admission and population trends. In 2002, the majority of released prisoners in Massachusetts were male (72 percent) and White (54 percent). The mean age at release was 34.6 years old. Slightly more than one-third had been incarcerated for offenses against persons. The average time served was about 5 years. In 2002, one-third of all released prisoners entered a period of parole supervision. Of the remainder, just over 35 percent were subject to probation supervision, mostly due to sentencing provisions. Just over one-third of adult prisoners released in 2002 lived in two counties at the time of their incarceration, Suffolk and Worcester. The highest number returned to Suffolk County, where the unemployment rate, poverty rate, and proportion of single-parent households are higher than the State averages. The prisoners returning to Suffolk County are heavily concentrated in Boston. High levels of poverty and unemployment characterize most of the Boston neighborhoods to which these individuals return. Although this report focuses on adults released from State custody, data are also provided on the juvenile population of the Department of Youth Services and sentenced individuals released from the Suffolk County House of Correction. 39 figures, 2 tables, and 16 maps