NCJ Number
151468
Date Published
1993
Length
92 pages
Annotation
This analysis of research on the effect of rehabilitation programs on recidivism among some or all ex- offenders concludes that rehabilitation produces societal benefits.
Abstract
The study data were collected for an early study supported by the National Institute of Justice. The data came from Boston, Chicago, and San Diego, where randomly selected individuals were divided between control and experimental groups. The control group received normal employment services, whereas the experimental group received special services. The data were analyzed by means of failure time analysis and a comparison of annualized offending rates and offenses committed before and after incarceration and of the social costs of these offenses in relation to the expected costs of treatment. The original researchers concluded that the rehabilitative efforts did not decrease the chance of long-term criminal recidivism. However, the present analysis revealed that society benefited from the rehabilitative efforts, because they produced a measurable extension of the period for which the ex-offender has been crime-free after release, compared to individuals who did not receive those services. Figures, tables, appended methodological information, and 32 references