Virginia is reporting its lowest recidivism rate in more than 20 years—tied with Minnesota for the second lowest in the nation, but Professor Jeffrey Butts at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York is not impressed. Continue reading Virginia Boasts of Low Prison Recidivism — Experts Challenge That Claim
States define recidivism differently, which can result in misleading interpretations of the statistics. by AMANDA HERNÁNDEZ Stateline December 11, 2023 Several states this year have reported lower rates of recidivism, showing that fewer convicted criminals are being re-arrested after leaving prison. But those statistics hardly tell the full story. Recidivism rates across the country can vary greatly because of how they’re defined, how the data … Continue reading How many inmates return to prison? Inconsistent reporting makes it hard to tell.
“It makes me sad to see that some of the issues we identified ten years ago are still hindering the effectiveness of the place,” said Jeffrey Butts, a criminologist at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, who conducted the earlier evaluation. Continue reading Injustice Watch— City Watchdog: Juvenile Diversion Program has Failed to Meet Goals
Jurisdictions that make extensive use of parole tend to have higher recidivism rates because more of their returning citizens are under the surveillance of parole officers and subject to onerous parole conditions that, if violated, could send them back to prison. “Comparing virtually any group of states or cities with simple, aggregate recidivism figures is inherently misleading and should constitute statistical malpractice,” according to criminologists Jeffrey A. Butts and Vincent Schiraldi. Continue reading Jacobin Magazine– Did You Really Think Trump Was Going to Help End the Carceral State?
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