Crimes Unlimited

Paper Summary:

The paper defines recidivism as the potential of a criminal to commit another crime within a specific period of time after being released from a correctional custody facility or discharged from a rehabilitation program. The paper is of the opinion that money being spent on juvenile reform would appear to be better spent in identifying the small number who are likely to re-offend, rather than mandating intervention for those who are very unlikely to re-offend. The paper explains that one must consider many things, including personality issues, offenders' attitudes and economic status. The paper concludes that it is very unclear from the literature if current programs really are of use in assisting the small but significantly pathological group which is considered most likely to re-offend.

From the Paper:

"A study conducted by the Hennepin County Minnesota Men's Project and published in January 2002 was done to determine the characteristics of clients enrolled in programs to provide services to criminal offenders. These characteristics where hoped to help analyze rates of recidivism that the clients showed after completing the programs. The final analysis of the Hennepin County study showed that a higher proportion of African-Americans participated in these programs and that outcomes tended to be less successful for the African-Americans that whites enrolled in the same program. Research for similar studies found the Hennepin County experience to be similar to that of most counties in the United States in the 21st Century."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Gendreau, P., Goggin, C., & Paparozzi, M. (1996). Principles of effective assessment for community corrections. Federal Probation, 60, 64-70.
• Robins, L. N. (1981). Epidemiological approaches to natural history research. Antisocial disorders in children. Journal of the American Academy of Child Psychiatry, 20, 566-580.
• Kazdin, A. E., Siegel, T. C., & Bass, D. (1990). Drawing upon clinical practice to inform research on child and adolescent psychotherapy: A survey of practitioners. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 21, 189-198.
• Rothstein, R. (1963). Explorations of ego structures of fire setting children. Archives of General Psychiatry, 9, 246-253.
• Yarnell, H. (1940). Firesetting in children. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 10, 272-287.

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