TO FACILITATE ANALYSIS, A RANDOM SAMPLE OF 25 PERCENT OF THE 1716 PERSONS PAROLED FROM SWEDISH PRISONS IN 1973 WAS STUDIED. ABOUT TWO-THIRDS OF THE SAMPLE COMMITTED NEW OFFENSES DURING THE 30-MONTH FOLLOWUP PERIOD. THE RECIDIVISM RATE IS AROUND 71 PERCENT FOR PERSONS UNDER 30 YEARS, ABOUT 56 PERCENT FOR THOSE OLDER. THE RISK OF RECIDIVISM IS HIGHEST IN THE FIRST 5 MONTHS AFTER PAROLE, 31 PERCENT; THIS DROPS TO 10 PERCENT AFTER 1 YEAR. HALF OF THE RECIDIVIST GROUP COMMITTED A NEW CRIME AFTER ABOUT 3 MONTHS, 75 PERCENT AFTER ABOUT 9 MONTHS. THERE IS A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EARLY AGE AT FIRST OFFENSE AND RECIDIVISM, AND THOSE WITH EARLY PRISON EXPERIENCE SHOW HIGHER RATES AT ALL AGE LEVELS. THOSE WHOSE PRINCIPAL OFFENSE WAS A CRIME OF VIOLENCE HAD A RECIDIVISM RATE OF 53 PERCENT; FOR CRIMES OF PROPERTY THE RATE WAS 70 PERCENT. REPETITION OF THE SAME TYPE OF OFFENSE WAS 47 PERCENT FOR CRIMES OF PROPERTY, 16 PERCENT FOR CRIMES OF VIOLENCE. LENGTH OF SENTENCE HAD LITTLE RELATIONSHIP TO RECIDIVISM. IN FACT, RECIDIVISM WAS LOWER AMONG EARLY PAROLEES (36 PERCENT) COMPARED WITH REGULAR PAROLEES (69 PERCENT). ABOUT 70 PERCENT OF RECIDIVISTS RECEIVE NEW PRISON SENTENCES. ANALYSIS OF STUDY DATA SHOWS THE RISK OF RECIDIVISM IS GREATEST FOR THOSE UNDER AGE 25 WITH PREVIOUS PRISON EXPERIENCE AND LEAST FOR THOSE OVER 30 WITHOUT EARLIER PRISON EXPERIENCE.