Comparing Measures of Self-Reported and Official Crime Among Individuals Under Parole Supervision

• In Event: Navigating Supervision, Housing and Reintegration After Incarceration

Abstract

Prior developmental and life-course (DLC) research has highlighted the discrepancies between self-reported and official crime (Farrington et al., 2013) but these analyses are generally conducted with general population samples. The current research examines disparities between self-reported offending and official records of crime among individuals under parole supervision. The analysis draws on data from the Pathways Home Study, a two-year longitudinal follow-up of approximately 400 individuals released on parole in New York City. In addition to comparing the prevalence of self-reported and official crime, we investigate the factors that are associated with under-reporting. Framing the data in the context of prior DLC research, we discuss the validity of self-reported measures of crime across different samples. This topic has important implications for future research involving self-reported surveys with adjudicated population. The findings also bear relevance for the measurement of recidivism and desistance from crime across the life course.

Authors

• Lila Kazemian, John Jay College of Criminal Justice

• Ronald Day, The Fortune Society