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KEYWORDS: recidivism, neighborhood context, disadvantage, prisoner re-entry
Prior studies of recidivism have focused almost exclusively on individual-level characteristics of offenders and their offenses to explore the correlates of reoffending. Notably absent from these studies are measures reflecting the neighborhood contexts in which individuals live. The current research addresses this shortcoming. Using data on a sample of ex-offenders in Multnomah County, Oregon (Portland and surrounding area) in conjunction with 2000 census data, we answer two questions. First, which individual-level factors influence rates of recidivism? Second, to what extent does neighborhood socioeconomic status account for variation in the reoffending behavior of ex-prisoners that is not explained by their individual-level characteristics? We find that those who return to disadvantaged neighborhoods recidivate at a greater rate while those who return to resource rich or affluent communities recidivate at a lesser rate, controlling for individual-level factors.
Rising incarceration rates over the past quarter century do not just mean that more people are being locked up. The trend also means that a growing number of inmates are being released from prison back to their communities. With roughly 600,000 prisoners returning to society each year, ex-offenders and the communities to which they return must cope with the challenges of reentry on a much greater scale than ever before. As a result, the issue of prisoner reentry-or the process of leaving the adult prison system and returning to society-is at the forefront of domestic public policy. Prisoner reentry raises questions about public safety, about how corrections systems should manage the volume of releases, and about how communities can absorb and reintegrate returning prisoners (Lynch and Sabol, 2001). The most pressing question, perhaps, has to do with offenders' likelihood of recidivating. How many of these exprisoners will reoffend and which factors influence recidivism the most?
Prior studies have focused almost exclusively on individual-level characteristics of offenders and their offenses to determine the correlates of recidivism. These studies document that those who have committed serious crimes, have prior offenses, drug problems, little education, and those with higher rates of supervision during probation or parole are more likely to recidivate, controlling for other factors (Benedict and HuffCorzine, 1997; Clarke, Lin, and Wallace, 1988; Irish, 1989; Listwan et al., 2003; MacKenzie et al., 1999; Ulmer, 2001)....