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Jan 16, 2024 · Leguizamo supports the New York City-based organization GOSO, or Getting Out and Staying Out, a program for incarcerated 18- to 21-year-olds that aims to reduce recidivism through education,...
- Claudia Amato
- 3 min
To address this, psychological treatments have been increasingly used in criminal justice settings; however, there is little evidence about their effectiveness. We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions in prison to reduce recidivism after release.
- Gabrielle Beaudry, Rongqin Yu, Amanda E Perry, Seena Fazel
- 2021
1 day ago · In his new play The Other Americans, John Leguizamo stars as a Colombian American laundromat owner whose son is released from a mental wellness facility after suffering a trauma. The play's world ...
Mar 27, 2010 · According to literature put out by the National Institute of Corrections and many others in the field, the research indicates that for a correctional system to be effective at reducing recidivism it must adhere to three core concepts: 1. Collaboration between all law criminal justice partners. 2.
- Overview
- Factors That Impact Recidivism
- Strategies to Reduce Recidivism Rates
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After spending years in prison because of crimes he committed, a prisoner is released. Thankful for a second chance, he dedicates himself to living a changed life. He gets a job and finds legal ways to support his family.
And yet, in just a few short years later, he commits another crime and returns to jail. For many prisoners, this is a familiar story. In fact, a recent study from the US Department of Justice found that 82% of prisoners who were released were arrested again within 10 years of getting out of jail.
Returning to prison for illegal acts is called reoffending. The likelihood of reoffending is called recidivism.
“As a forensic psychologist, I refer to the term recidivism as an individual's likeliness to reengage in criminal offenses or to re-offend,” explains Leslie Dobson, PsyD, Clinical and Forensic Psychologist. “We structure our violence risk assessments around factors that allow us to gauge the percentage of likeliness of a person committing a crime if they get out of prison or if they are no longer on parole or probation,” she adds.
It's important to understand why a person may be more susceptible to repeating criminal acts. Knowing why can help officials who offer rehabilitation services in prisons. It can also affect programs that are available to prisoners when they are released. And it may even give officials tools to help prisoners turn from that behavior once they get out of jail.
What makes a person likely to become involved again in criminal behavior? Why does one person decide to leave their criminal past behind, while another follows the same pattern over and over? Experts say there’s not a simple answer to those questions. You have to look at a person holistically to figure out if they’re likely to re-offend.
“Recidivism is measured through looking at a person's history, a person's current clinical presentation, and a person's realistic future planning or lack of realistic future planning,” explains Dr. Dobson. “So, we can look at a 40-year-old man who was in prison for 40 years and compare the likeliness of his recidivism to other individuals with similar crimes, backgrounds, age, ethnicity, etc.” she states.
A person's past criminal history is indicative of future violence. If a person has criminal versatility such as many different types of crimes, they are more likely to recidivate in the future
Research also shows that the age of a person at the time they committed the crime, and the steps taken to help restore them, have a significant impact on their recidivism risk. Family involvement, mental and physical health, lack of control over impulses, and whether a person is sorry for their crimes also make a difference.
Exterior factors, such as returning a person to the same environment, failing to give them tools to think differently and succeed, and not providing opportunities create a greater chance of a person resorting to criminal behavior again.
“A person's past criminal history is indicative of future violence. If a person has criminal versatility such as many different types of crimes, they are more likely to recidivate in the future,” adds Dr. Dobson. She notes that she has observed real-life examples of recidivism in action—and saw outside circumstances make a difference in their internal actions.
Recidivism rates can vary widely, depending on whether research is looking at the factors alone, or incorporating the rates of prisoners who actually reoffend into their numbers.
Either way, people understand that the tendency to re-offend is the problem. The hope is to find solutions that can make a positive difference. Here are a few strategies to make that happen.
1.Change the environment that a former prisoner returns to after being in jail. “Help people find supportive groups, whether it’s AA for alcoholics or intensive outpatient programs to help heal trauma. Encourage people to surround themselves with the new people they meet and that they like from these groups and programs,” advises Carl Nassar, PhD.
2.Give them opportunities to redirect their focus and do something they enjoy. “Help people find work that is meaningful to them. People can discover a sense of place and a sense of pride in good work,” Dr. Nassar says.
3.Provide the help they need to heal inwardly. Link them up with mental health professionals who can address the reasons that they engaged in the behavior in the first place.
4.Don’t judge them according to their past. Instead of treating them as if their criminal acts define them, respect who they have become and help them achieve their aspirations for the future. This includes encouraging and supporting them during their time in prison.
- Lakeisha Fleming
Jul 7, 2021 · Through CBT, people are taught to identify and manage thoughts that contribute to emotional problems, altering their behavior in the process. CBT is a highly effective treatment for depression, anxiety disorders, alcohol and drug use, marital problems, eating disorders, and severe mental illness.
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Recidivism remains a major challenge in the U.S. criminal justice system, with significant economic and social implications. By understanding its meaning and contributing factors, stakeholders can develop strategies to reduce re-arrest rates and promote rehabilitation.
