Categorical Crimes and Their Association with Recidivism

• In Event: Poster Session II

Abstract

While there is a large literature assessing the differential recidivism of various categories of offenders in prison samples, relatively less research has been conducted on samples derived from jail populations. The current project sought to address this gap in the literature by providing a descriptive analysis that compared five specific categories of offenders and their recidivism one year after initial contact. This project examined the relationship between number and type of prior arrests to future arrests among a sample (N = 73) of jail inmates in Hamilton County, Ohio. In addition to demographic information obtained during in-person interviews, data from the Hamilton County Clerk’s office were also used to determine recidivism for one year post-release. Results indicate that an offender’s initial crime type had no significant association with recidivism (as measured by subsequent criminal charge). Guidance for future research and study limitations are discussed.

Authors

• Clay Matthew Driscoll, University of Cincinnati

• Joseph L Nedelec, University of Cincinnati

• Ian A Silver, University of Cincinnati