Recidivism In Connecticut (2001)

One of the identifiable factors contributing to the state's current prison overcrowding problem is the high number of offenders who repeatedly commit crimes or violate the release conditions of probation or parole supervision and are reincarcerated. This trend is recidivism.

In March 2001, the Legislative Program Review and Investigations Committee authorized a study of recidivism in Connecticut. The study tracked, for the first time, the extent convicted adult felons who were sent to prison or sentenced to probation were subsequently rearrested, reconvicted, and sentenced for new crimes. The study also analyzed any differences in the recidivism rates between inmates and probationers and among different categories of offenders such as males and females, Caucasians and minorities, or violent, property and drug offenders. Crime patterns and trends were tracked to identify any predictors of recidivism based on offenders' criminal histories, demographics, program participation, and other factors.

The committee found a high rate of recidivism among the two study groups: inmates discharging from prison and offenders sentenced to nonprison sanctions such as probation, conditional discharge, accelerated rehabilitation, and youthful offender status. Most felony inmates (70 percent) were rearrested at least once during the three-year period after release from prison. Almost half of the discharged inmates were reconvicted of a new crime and about 25 percent were reincarcerated and an additional 33 percent received a nonprison sanction (generally probation). Among the probationer group, 58 percent were rearrested at least once for a new crime and 33 percent were reconvicted. Only 11 percent of the probationers were sent to prison as a result of a new crime but 21 percent were sentenced to another community supervision sanction.

Based on the analysis, the committee further found the highest recidivism rates were among young, male, African American offenders in both groups. Offenders with extensive prior criminal histories were more likely to be rearrested than offenders with less serious criminal histories. In general, repeat offenders in both groups committed a variety of new felony and misdemeanor crimes and did not "specialize" in one type of crime. Overall, most of the repeat criminal activity was nonviolent and less serious felonies and misdemeanor property crimes, drug sale and possession offenses, and crimes such as disorderly conduct, breach of peace, and motor vehicle infractions. However, property offenders reoffended more often and were more likely to recommit the same type of crimes than violent offenders. A previous drug conviction was not a strong predictor of rearrest for a new drug sale or possession crime.

As this study showed, it is feasible to use existing automated criminal history data to calculate recidivism rates and to analyze the trends and patterns of reoffending among a large group of inmates. Tracking the rate of recidivism based on that data is crucial to a comprehensive understanding of crime and necessary to develop and implement effective and cost-efficient policies and programs that attempt to reduce crime and protect the public's safety.

The report offered one recommendation aimed at initiating an on-going process to track and analyze the rates of rearrest, reconviction, and reincarceration of felony and misdemeanor offenders on a yearly basis. The committee proposed the Department of Public Safety's Division of State Police conduct and report on the analysis. No legislation on this issue was raised.

The Department of Public Safety reported it was unable to conduct the recommended analysis of recidivism due to a lack of personnel and fiscal resources.