NCJ Number
50211
Date Published
1976
Length
134 pages
Annotation
A SAMPLE OF 190 DANISH PRISON RELEASEES WAS INVESTIGATED IN THIS 1974 STUDY TO IDENTIFY FACTORS PREDICTIVE OF RESOCIALIZATION OR RECIDIVISM OF EX-OFFENDERS IN THE FIRST YEAR AFTER BEING SET FREE.
Abstract
MOST OF THE SUBJECT IN THE SAMPLE WERE CHRONIC OFFENDERS, BETWEEN THE AGES OF 21 AND 29 YEARS, HAD SERVED SENTENCES FOR PROPERTY CRIMES, AND WERE RELEASED AFTER SERVING TWO-THIRDS OF THEIR SENTENCE. SEVERAL VARIABLES WERE USED AS PREDICTORS OF RECIDIVISM: HISTORY OF CRIMINALITY AND RECIDIVISM IN CONJUNCTION WITH AGE, AND BEHAVIOR WHILE INSTITUTIONALIZED PRISONIZATION, LENGTH OF TIME ELAPSING BETWEEN PREVIOUS AND CURRENT OFFENSE, SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS BEFORE CURRENT OFFENSE AND SENTENCING, PREPRISON EMPLOYMENT STATUS, HISTORY OF ALCOHOL AND DRUG USE, SOCIOPSYCHOLOGICAL STATUS, AGE AT TIME OF RELEASE, TYPE OF OFFENSE, AND FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS AFTER RELEASE. MULTIVARIATE ANALYSIS WAS USED TO DETERMINE WHICH, IF ANY, OF THESE VARIABLES ARE PREDICTIVE OF RESOCIALIZATION SUCCESS AS INDICATED BY PAROLE AND POLICE RECORDS. RESULTS SHOWED THAT SEVERAL WERE INFLUENTIAL, INCLUDING LENGTH OF TIME ELAPSING BETWEEN PREVIOUS AND CURRENT OFFENSE, PRISONIZATION, BEHAVIOR WHILE IN PRISON, AND SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC STATUS. ALSO SIGNIFICANT WAS OFFENDER'S PRO-, ANTI-, OR ASOCIALNESS WHILE IN PRISON: NEARLY TWO OUT OF THREE INMATES LABLED AS PROSOCIAL WERE SUCCESSFULLY RESOCIALIZED WHEN A YEAR WITHOUT RECIDIVATING IS USED AS THE CRITERION. RECOMMENDATIONS (I.E., THAT LONG-TERM SENTENCES SHOULD BE USED SPARINGLY, FURTHER ALTERNATIVES TO INSTITUTIONALIZATION SHOULD BE SOUGHT, AND FUTURE RESEARCH SHOULD EXPLORE THE FAR-RANGING EFFECTS OF VARIOUS SANCTIONS ON OFFENDERS),