Recidivism in the news

Education key to reducing recidivism rate.

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AT MORE THAN $5 billion a year, California's prison budget is among the highest in the nation, with a huge chunk spent on housing parolees who are returned to prison for new offenses.

Of the 125,000 inmates released each year, 98,750 -- 79 percent -- are back in prison before their paroles end, a recidivism rate surpassed only by Utah. The 21 percent of California's prisoners who successfully complete their paroles, compares with a 42 percent national rate.

It means that of the state's 160,000 inmates, two-thirds are doing time as former parolees, each costing the taxpayers at least $30,000 a year.

So if there was a way to cut costs by reducing this recidivism rate, surely it would quickly be enacted. There is -- inmate education. But strangely, Sacramento has been slow to embrace the concept.
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http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004/04/12/EDGGG5VKH71.DTL

For Many Teen Offenders, Peer-Run Court Means Less Recidivism

WASHINGTON, D.C., April 15, 2002—Teen courts may be a positive alternative to the normal juvenile justice process for jurisdictions that want to expand intervention options for young, first-time juvenile offenders and reduce youth recidivism. Recidivism rates among teen court youth were similar and in some cases lower than those of youth in the regular juvenile justice system, according to a four-state evaluation by the Urban Institute. Findings from the evaluation were released today by U.S. Assistant Attorney General Deborah J. Daniels at the National Youth Court Conference.

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"WASHINGTON, D.C., April 15, 2002—Teen courts may be a positive alternative to the normal juvenile justice process for jurisdictions that want to expand intervention options for young, first-time juvenile offenders and reduce youth recidivism. Recidivism rates among teen court youth were similar and in some cases lower than those of youth in the regular juvenile justice system, according to a four-state evaluation by the Urban Institute. Findings from the evaluation were released today by U.S. Assistant Attorney General Deborah J. Daniels at the National Youth Court Conference."

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http://www.urban.org/Template.cfm?NavMenuID=24&template=/TaggedContent/ViewPublication.cfm&PublicationID=7637