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DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA - DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS - THE IMPACT OF FURLOUGHS ON RECIDIVISM

NCJ Number
67589
Author(s)
D ROSS; P OJALVO
Date Published
1979
Length
25 pages
Annotation
THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA'S INMATE FURLOUGH PROGRAM WAS EVALUATED BY COMPARING THE RECIDIVISM RATES OF PARTICIPANTS AND NONPARTICIPANTS.
Abstract
THE PURPOSES OF THE FURLOUGH PROGRAM ARE TO REESTABLISH INMATE COMMUNITY CONTACTS, ALLOW FOR A GRADUAL 'DECOMPRESSION' FROM THE EFFECTS ON INSTITUTIONALIZATION, AND NURTURE SELF-ESTEEM AND A SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY IN THE INMATE. THE EVALUATION POPULATION CONTAINED ALL MALES RELEASED FROM THE MINIMUM SECURITY FACILITY AT LORTON, VIRGINIA DURING 1977 AND 1978. A SAMPLE OF 131 INMATES PATICIPATED IN THE FURLOUGH PROGRAM, AND THE REMAINING 131 SUBJECTS WERE NONPARTICIPANTS. THE PARTICIPATING INMATES WERE SINGLE, BETWEEN 29 AND 34 YEARS OLD, WITH NO KNOWN HISTORY OF DRUG USE. THEY WERE MOST OFTEN CONVICTED OF MURDER, ARMED ROBBERY, OR BURGLARY, AND HAD ONE OR MORE PRIOR INCARCERATIONS. THE AVERAGE PRISON TIME WAS BETWEEN 2 AND 3 YEARS. THE NONPARTICIPANTS WERE BETWEEN 29 AND 34 YEARS OLD, SINGLE, WITH A KNOWN HISTORY OF DRUG USE. THEY WERE MOST OFTEN CONVICTED OF BURGLARY OR UNARMED ROBBERY, AND HAD ONE OR MORE INCARCERATIONS. THE NONPARTICIPANT HAD SPENT BETWEEN 1 AND 2 YEARS IN PRISON. THE AVERAGE FOLLOWUP PERIOD FOR PARTICIPANTS WAS 1 YEAR AND 8 MONTHS, AND THE AVERAGE FOLLOWUP PERIOD FOR NONPARTICIPANTS WAS 1 YEAR AND 9 MONTHS. THE NONPARTICIPANTS WERE FOUND TO HAVE A 44.3 PERCENT RATE OF RECIDIVISM, WHERE PARTICIPATING INMATES A 31.3 PERCENT RATE OF RECIDIVISM. RECIDIVISM WAS MEASURED ACCORDING TO ARRESTS, CONVICTIONS, AND VIOLATIONS OF HALFWAY HOUSE OR PAROLE RULES. AFTER CONTROLLING FOR THE EFFECTS OF VARIABLES KNOWN TO BE RELATED TO RECIDIVISM (CRIMINAL AND SOCIAL FACTORS), THE FURLOUGH PROGRAM WAS CONCLUDED TO BE THE PROXIMATE CAUSE OF THE REDUCTION IN RECIDIVISM. TABULAR DATA AND FOUR REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--RCB)