Recidivism as a Result of Incarceration

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Recidivism as a Result of Incarceration Recidivism occurs when a person who has formerly been incarcerated is reintroduced into the system after committing a crime. This is gauged by rearrests, new convictions, and violation of post-release within a three year window of release. There are several professionals who believe that once an inmate is released from incarceration it is a matter of not if, but when, they will return to detainment. There are others who believe in the greater good and that these people will be deterred from future crimes. Statistical data shows that the previous of the two is most likely the case. “In 2008, the Pew Center on the States reported that incarceration levels had risen to a point where one in 100 American adults was behind bars (States).” In 2009, the study added yet another element and discovered that one in 31 adults in the United States was either incarcerated or on probation or parole. It is possible to say that with the statistical data presented here in regards to incarceration rates being so high, that recidivism rates will be proven to be just as bad. This paper will discuss statistics, possible causes, and both sides of the controversy of recidivism to prove that incarceration does not work towards deterring criminals from committing future crimes. Recidivism rates are hard to calculate when it comes to statistical data, because many crimes go unreported, which does not lead to an actual conviction. There are a few ways in which statistical data can be collected, such as convicted criminal re-entry into the system, interviews with probationers or post-release offenders, and examining data of recent arrests and offender convictions. There is no perfect way to analyze recidivism rates, so the data must come from a rough estimate of the information that is accessible. “The Bureau of Justice Statistics, tracked 404,638 state
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