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Effect of Prison on Adult Re-Offending

NCJ Number
233602
Author(s)
Don Weatherburn
Date Published
August 2010
Length
12 pages
Annotation
This study examined the effect of imprisonment on adult reoffending among those convicted of either non-aggravated assault or burglary.
Abstract
Results show that there is no evidence that prison deters offenders convicted of burglary or non-aggravated assault. There is some evidence that prison increases the risk of offending amongst offenders convicted of non-aggravated assault. Offenders who received a prison sentence were slightly more likely to reoffend than those who received a non-custodial penalty. The difference was just significant for non-aggravated assault but not significant for burglary. Results suggest that it would be unwise to imprison offenders when the only reason for doing so is a belief in the specific deterrent effect of prison. This applies especially in force for short sentences of 6 months or less. Results suggest that it would be more cost effective to place many of these offenders on a community based program which combines intensive supervision with drug, alcohol, and/or mental health treatment. Data were collected from 171,969 cases finalized in the New South Wales Court between 2003 and 2004. 5 tables and 26 references