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Re-offenders (Recidivism)
Among many factors, the effectiveness of Florida prison programs designed to keep criminals from repeating crimes is measured by the state's recidivism rate. The Florida recidivism rate (return to prison for any reason within three years after release) for inmates released from 1995 – 2005 is 32.8 percent. Florida's recidivism rate is comparable with those reported nationally by the Bureau of Justice Statistics.
Juvenile programs are measured to gauge the state's effectiveness in preventing youth from committing or repeating crimes.
Why Is This Important?
Recidivism is the key statistic in determining whether or not criminal justice interventions, from diversion through incarceration, are making a difference in keeping offenders from committing more crimes. However, differences occur in how recidivism is defined and measured. The primary definition of recidivism rate used by the Florida Department of Corrections is return to prison for a new offense or technical violation during a specified time-period after release (usually three years). Advantages to this definition are that it is easily translated into a cost-benefit analysis and it includes any actions that may warrant a return to prison, including technical violations of supervision. One disadvantage is that this definition does not measure the direct threat to public safety, since a new offense may not have occurred.
The Department of Juvenile Justice measures how well juvenile justice interventions, from prevention through incarceration, are preventing youth from committing future crimes. Low recidivism indicates that children who were once in trouble have been helped and are not committing crimes. High recidivism would indicate that efforts to prevent future crimes are not working and that children who were in trouble are likely to be in trouble again. When recidivism is low, citizens are less likely to become victims of a crime committed by a juvenile and the children who were once in trouble are more likely to grow up as productive citizens. The juvenile recidivism rate (youth committing a new offense) is measured at 12 months post release for residential programs and at six months post release for delinquency prevention programs.
How Is Florida Doing?
According to the most recently available statistics, Florida's adult recidivism rate remains constant in several categories, generally between 34 percent and 35 percent. Those who complete high school or earn an educational or vocational certificate are less likely to return to prison at numbers below 30 percent. Those receiving substance abuse treatment are slightly less likely to return.
Residential program juvenile recidivism has witnessed a slight increase over the last five years with nearly 56 percent remaining crime-free. The most recent figures covering Fiscal Year 2008, shows a slight increase. The Department of Juvenile Justice began directing the most serious youth offenders to highly supervised environments with less serious youth offenders placed in less restrictive settings. The recidivism rate for males is 49 percent and for females it is 30 percent. Those participating in prevention programs re-offend at only an eight percent rate (constantly under 10 percent for six years). Ninety percent of males and 94 percent of females remain crime free after six months.
Scorecard
What Influences Re-offenders (Recidivism)?
Florida Department of Corrections research shows that the inmates at highest risk of recidivism have the following characteristics:
• Prior recidivism
• Younger release
• Low education level
• Drug offenses or substance abuse problems
The two most important factors that influence recidivism are prior recidivism (the more priors the more likely to return) and age at release (the younger the release age the more likely to return) followed closely by education level and drug offenses.
Florida Department of Juvenile Justice research shows that the following risk factors influence whether or not a youth will reoffend:
• Age at release from the program
• Chronic drug use
• Gender (boys are more likely to re-offend than girls)
• Number of prior juvenile referrals
• Prior felony judgments
• Prior commitment to a juvenile residential program
• Race
• Region of the state where the youth resides
• Poor school attendance
What Is the State's Role?
The state's role in reducing the adult recidivism rate was highlighted with the May 2007 change (in May 2007) to the mission statement for the Florida Department of Corrections to read:
To protect the public safety, to ensure the safety of Department personnel, and to provide proper care and supervision of all offenders under our jurisdiction while assisting, as appropriate, their reentry into society.
The focus on reentry into society is the major change to the Department of Corrections' mission. This change has brought a more coordinated and focused effort on prisoner rehabilitation programs and re-entry efforts to help reduce the recidivism rate.
The state's role in reducing juvenile recidivism is significant. Florida's mission is to increase public safety by reducing juvenile delinquency through effective prevention, intervention and treatment services that strengthen families and turn around the lives of troubled youth. The State of Florida provides a number of interventions from prevention to residential services. Reduced recidivism has a direct impact on the amount of taxpayer dollars that are spent on both juvenile and adult correctional services.
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