The Past Predicts the Future: Criminal History and Recidivism of Federal Offenders

• In Event: Sources of Sentencing Disparity and Predictors of Recidivism

Abstract

Considerations of recidivism by federal offenders was central to the United States Sentencing Commission's initial work in developing the Guidelines Manual's criminal history provisions, which impacts the sentencing of federal offenders. The Commission periodically studies recidivism and the operation of the federal sentencing guidelines. This presentation provides information on the components of criminal history as measured in Chapter Four of the Guidelines Manual and their relationship with recidivism among 25,431 U.S. citizen federal offenders released from prison or places on probation in 2005. This cohort was tracked for a period of eight years.

Author

• Tracey Kyckelhahn, United States Sentencing Commission