NCJ Number
90141
Date Published
1982
Length
74 pages
Annotation
This New York State study focuses on recidivist characteristics, the type and number of offenses for which they were arrested, and the frequency of the arrests, and implications are drawn for New York State criminal justice policy.
Abstract
This study defined recidivism as any felony rearrest occurring 1975-1981. The 1975 arrestee population was predominantly male, white, young, and most often arrested in New York City. Over 55 percent of the total cohort (n=55,035) had at least one prior arrest for a misdemeanor or a felony, indicating that over one-half had some contact with the criminal justice system prior to the 1975 event. Those with prior felony arrests were most often male, nonwhite, 25-34 years old, and were apprehended in New York City for the 1975 arrest. The first 1975 arrest for the group most often involved burglary charges, with the proportion of burglaries greater among persons with a greater number of previous arrests. Among the first-time 1975 arrestees (n=57,719), 36 percent were arrested for a felony at least a second time by December 31, 1981. A small number of persons was responsible for a disproportionate amount of crime in 1975. The rate at which the first-time arrestees experienced rearrest was greatest during the first year following arrest on the initial felony. After the second year of followup, persons were rearrested at a fairly constant rate. Overall, analyses show low to moderate probabilities of recidivating, ranging from .359 for a second arrest given the first, to .670 for an eighth arrest given the seventh. The type and frequency of criminal activity by recidivists in New York State has practical implications for determining methods that will reduce crimes attributable to recidivists. Recommendations for future research are presented, along with tabular data and seven references.