Results from a study conducted by the Pew Center on the States and the Association of State Correctional Administrators to examine recidivism rates on a State-by-State basis show that 45.4 percent of people released from prison in 1999 and 43.3 percent of those released in 2004 were reincarcerated within 3 years, either for committing a new crime or for violating conditions governing their release. The study also found that the national recidivism rate consistently remained around 40 percent between 1994 and 2007, and that considerable variation in recidivism rates existed at the State level. Data for this study were obtained from a survey that asked States to report 3-year recidivism rates for all inmates released from their prison systems in 1999 and 2004. The study also examined some of the variables that influence recidivism patterns, as well as policies and practices that have demonstrated success in helping States reduce their prison recidivism rates. The strategies include the use of sophisticated risk assessments, detailed reentry planning, and post-release supervision carefully tailored to each offender's circumstances. Exhibits, appendix, and endnotes