RECIDIVISM IS CONCEPTUALIZED IN TERMS OF THE LENGTH OF TIME A RECIDIVIST REMAINS FREE BEFORE RETURNING TO PRISON UNDER A NEW SENTENCE. THE MULTIVARIATE ANALYSIS SHOWS THAT THE HIGHER THE INCIDENCE OF CRIME IN AN INMATE'S NEIGHBORHOOD IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO THE FIRST PRISON TERM, AND THE GREATER THE FREQUENCY, DURATION, AND INTENSITY OF CRIMINAL CONTACT IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE FIRST PRISON TERM, THE SHORTER THE PERIOD OF FREEDOM BEFORE RETURNING TO PRISON. THE LARGER THE COMMUNITY IN WHICH THE SUBJECT RESIDED AS AN ADULT PRIOR TO IMPRISONMENT AND THE GREATER THE EXTENT TO WHICH THE SUBJECT ATTRIBUTED THE CAUSES OF HIS FIRST CRIME TO EXTERNAL FACTORS, THE LONGER THE PERIOD OF FREEDOM PRIOR TO REINCARCERATION. LONGER PERIODS OF FREEDOM WERE ALSO RELATED TO GREATER FREQUENCY, DURATION, AND INTENSITY OF CRIMINAL CONTACT DURING AND IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE SECOND PRISON TERM; LONGER SECOND-SENTENCE LENGTH; LONGER PERIOD OF FREEDOM PRIOR TO SECOND PRISON TERM; AND HIGHER OCCUPATIONAL STATUS IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO THE THIRD PRISON TERM. SHORTER LENGTH OF FREEDOM WAS ALSO ASSOCIATED WITH HIGHER INCIDENCE OF CRIME IN A SUBJECT'S NEIGHBORHOOD IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO THE THIRD PRISON TERM. PARTICULAR SIGNIFICANCE IS ATTACHED TO THE FOLLOWING FINDINGS: THE LONGER THE LAST PRISON SENTENCE, THE LONGER THE PERIOD OF FREEDOM BEFORE RETURNING TO PRISON; GENERALLY, THE LARGER THE COMMUNITY IN WHICH A SUBJECT RESIDES JUST PRIOR TO RETURNING TO PRISON, THE LONGER THE PERIOD OF FREEDOM; AND, GENERALLY, THE HIGHER A SUBJECT'S OCCUPATIONAL PRESTIGE JUST PRIOR TO RETURNING TO PRISON, THE LONGER HIS PERIOD OF FREEDOM. IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS FOR REDUCING RECIDIVISM ARE DISCUSSED. SUPPORTING DATA, A BIBLIOGRAPHY, AND A COPY OF THE INSTRUMENT USED IN INTERVIEWING INMATES ARE INCLUDED. (LKM)