Recidivism

• Recidivism is a tendency to relapse into a previous condition or mode of behaviour: criminal behaviour.
• 46% of prisoners will reoffend within a year of release. 60% of short/sentences prisoners will reoffend within a year.
• The Criminal Justice System

  • is working; more criminals are incapacitated so the public is protected, provides retribution because justice is served.
  • isn’t working; deterrence: people aren’t scared of prison so make a rational choice to commit crime.
• The Prison Reform Trust found that recidivism rate goes down as the prison population goes down: prisons are universities/ schools of crime.