NCJ Number
28305
Journal
REVUE PENITENTIARE ET DE DROIT PENAL Volume: 98 Issue: 1 Dated: (JANUARY - MARCH 1974) Pages: 31-53
Date Published
1974
Length
23 pages
Annotation
REPORT FOR 1973 ON RECIDIVISM OF PRISONERS RELEASED 10 YEARS EARLIER - ONE OF A SERIES OF SUCH REPORTS BEGUN IN 1970 - PLUS INFORMATION OBTAINED FROM A SIMILAR BELGIAN STUDY.
Abstract
THE FRENCH STUDY COVERED A SAMPLE OF 6,667 INDIVIDUALS, THE BELGIAN ONE A SAMPLE OF 597 INDIVIDUALS RELEASED IN 1961. STATISTICS ARE PROVIDED SHOWING RECIDIVISM RATES IN RELATION TO AGE, NUMBER OF PREVIOUS CONVICTIONS, NATIONALITY, PLACE OF ORIGIN, MARITAL STATUS AND NUMBER OF CHILDREN, AND OCCUPATION. STATISTICS ARE ALSO GIVEN ON FREQUENCY OF RECIDIVISM AND THE LENGTH OF TIME BEFORE RECIDIVISM TOOK PLACE, AND ON TYPES OF OFFENSES COMMITTED BY RECIDIVISTS. FIGURES ARE ALSO PRESENTED SHOWING RECIDIVISM RATES IN RELATION TO WHETHER THE INDIVIDUAL WAS RELEASED FROM A TRADITIONAL OR A PROGRESSIVE INSTITUTION AND WHETHER OR NOT HE RECEIVED CONDITIONAL RELEASE. IN 1973, THE NUMBER OF THOSE SERVING SENTENCES OF LESS THAN SIX MONTHS WAS INCREASED FROM ABOUT 14 TO ABOUT 67 PERCENT OF THE SAMPLE. THE AUTHOR CONCLUDES THAT THOSE SENTENCED TO THREE MONTHS OR LESS ARE OFTEN NOT GENUINE CRIMINALS AND HENCE REHABILITATION IS NOT A REAL PROBLEM, SO THEIR RATE OF RECIDIVISM IS LOW. ALSO, THE STATISTICS CONFIRM THE OBSERVATION FROM STUDIES IN PREVIOUS YEARS THAT THE MORE PREVIOUS CONVICTIONS AN INDIVIDUAL HAS THE MORE LIKELY HE IS TO BECOME A RECIDIVIST AGAIN. FURTHERMORE, THOSE GIVEN CONDITIONAL RELEASE SEEM TO BECOME RECIDIVISTS MUCH MORE FREQUENTLY THAN IN THE PAST. THIS MAY BE BECAUSE THEY FOUND RESOCIALIZATION DIFFICULT. EX-OFFENDER REHABILITATION AND TREATMENT MIGHT HASTEN SUCH PEOPLE'S RETURN TO A NORMAL LIFE. --IN FRENCH SEE NCJ-32521 FOR ENGLISH TRANSLATION.