Parolee Recidivism and Rural Context: Assessing Similarities and Differences across Urban and Rural Areas

• In Event: Incarceration and Reentry in Context: The Removal, Return, and Supervision of Offenders in Rural and Urban Areas

Abstract

Examinations of neighborhood context on parolee recidivism have largely focused on urban communities. Yet, a large number of ex-offenders return to rural or suburban settings with little research understanding how reentry and recidivism works in these areas. Many of the ecological contexts currently linked to recidivism, like concentrated disadvantage, may not be relevant in a rural environment. This study explicitly examines differences in recidivism between parolees released into urban neighborhoods compared to those returning to rural neighborhoods. Using a unique longitudinal dataset on parolees from Ohio capturing post-incarceration residences and recidivism between 2000 and 2009, we test whether neighborhood factors such as poverty and unemployment similarly predict recidivism across rural and urban contexts. The findings from this study sheds light on an understudied topic of rural recidivism and release, and provides guidance for understanding how reentry, resources and community interventions may work in rural settings.

Authors

• Alyssa Chamberlain, Arizona State University

• Danielle Wallace, Arizona State University