Recidivism of Native American Parolees: Trends and Correlates from a Large Rural State

• In Event: Correlates of Recidivism in the Context of Reentry

Abstract

In general, there is limited research and knowledge on the experiences of Native Americans in the criminal justice system. This is partly due to data constraints, with jurisdictional issues steering Native American offends into tribal, state, or federal correctional supervision based on the location of the offense and the tribal status of the victim and offender. While limited research shows that Native Americans are incarcerated at a higher rate than whites, and some research examines sentencing disparities between Native American and other offenders, there is almost no research examining risk and protective factors of recidivism among Native American parolees. Drawing on unique data from the State of Montana, this study examines trends in and correlates of Native American recidivism among cohorts of parolees released between 2004 and 2014. Native Americans make up 7 percent of the adult population in Montana, but account for over 20 percent of the state’s correctional population. Preliminary results show that Native Americans in Montana recidivate at a significantly higher rate than other offenders, with over half of Native American parolees reincarcerated within 3 years of release. Further, this difference cannot be explained using available criminal history, demographic, or social characteristics.

Authors

• Cody Warner, Montana State University

• George Tita, University of California, Irvine