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J Quant Criminol (2012) 28:629649 DOI 10.1007/s10940-012-9166-x
ORIGINAL PAPER
Torbjrn Skardhamar Kjetil Telle
Published online: 5 February 2012 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2012
Abstract
Objectives Investigate the transition from prison to employment and the relationship between post-release employment and recidivism.
Methods We use a sample of every person released from Norwegian prisons in 2003 (N = 7,476), and they are followed through 2006 with monthly measures. We estimate the time to recidivism using discrete time survival models, conditioning upon both pre-release characteristics and post-release time-varying covariates (employment, educational enrollment and participation in labor market programs).
Results The majority of former inmates were employed at some point in our data window, but it took approximately 30 months for 30% of them to become employed. The hazard of recidivism is substantially lower (0.12, p \ .001) when former inmates are employed compared with unemployed, although observable individual characteristics can account for a large share of this association (0.50, p \ .001, after adjustment). The negative association between employment and recidivism remains when controlling for other post-release statuses. Although post-release employment periods are associated with a lower risk of recidivism for all categories of principal offence, the magnitude of the association varies. The association is smaller for those receiving social benets. Conclusion The ndings are consistent with theories suggesting that employment reduces the risk of recidivism.
Keywords Release from prison Recidivism Post-release employment
Survival analysis
Introduction
One overarching goal for prison services, policymakers and social workers is to rehabilitate prisoners to a life without crime. However, it is well known that a large proportion
T. Skardhamar (&) K. Telle
Statistics Norway, Research Department, PO Box 8131 Dep, 0033 Oslo, Norway e-mail: [email protected]
Post-release Employment and Recidivism in Norway
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recidivate within a short time (Baumer 1997; Berk et al. 1980; Langan and Levin 2002; ODonnell et al. 2008).
It has long been recognized that inmates usually face major problems upon release from prison, and the post-release situation likely has major implications for recidivism. Preconditions for obtaining a new law-abiding life include establishing meaningful routine activities and nding a legitimate source of income, preferably a job (Harrison and Scheher 2004). A wide range of theoretical approaches assumes a crime-preventive effect of employment, including...