NCJ Number
238237
Date Published
January 2007
Length
35 pages
Annotation
This report summarizes the analysis of recidivism rates for offenders who were released from prison in fiscal years 2002 and 2003 and State jail in fiscal year 2003, along with a review of recidivism information for other areas of the adult and juvenile criminal justice systems.
Abstract
Each offender in the 2002 and 2003 release cohorts was followed for 3 years. Any offender who was reincarcerated in either a State jail or prison facility at least once during the 3-year period was considered a recidivist. A 3-year rearrest rate was computed for the fiscal year 2002 prison-release cohort. Any offender who was rearrested for at least a Class B misdemeanor within the 3-year follow-up period was considered a recidivist. Juvenile offenders released from Texas Youth Commission residential facilities during fiscal years 2002 and 2003 were also followed for a 3-year period. Any juvenile offender returned to a youth or an adult facility during the 3-year period was considered a recidivist. The 3-year reincarceration rate of prison releases has decreased from the fiscal year 1999 cohort (33 percent) to the fiscal year 2003 cohort (28 percent). This indicates that 28 percent of offenders released from prison in 2003 returned to prison or State jail within the subsequent 3 years. The fiscal year 2003 State jail release cohort had a higher reincarceration rate (34 percent) than the fiscal year 2003 prison release cohort (28 percent). The State jail offenders also had a shorter average time-to-failure (16 months) than the prison offenders (19 months). The fiscal year 2002 prison release cohort had a 3-year rearrest rate of 46 percent and an average time-to-failure of 15 months. The adult parole revocation rate decreased from 15 percent in 2004 to 13 percent in 2006. Extensive tables and notes, and appended Texas recidivism rates compared to other States and a comparison of Texas rearrest and reincarceration cohorts