Two-thirds of California parolees back in prison in 3 years

[Lucinda F. Boyd]

Two-thirds of California parolees back in prison in 3 years

Comments 52

November 05, 2010 8:30 AM

ASSOCIATED PRESS

SACRAMENTO (AP) • A new state report shows 67.5 percent of California prison inmates who were paroled in 2005-06 returned to prison within three years.

That’s a slight increase over the previous three-year recidivism rate of 66.2 percent.

The latest findings by the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation were released on Tuesday.

They show California’s recidivism rate remains among the highest in the nation.

But corrections officials say there are some signs of improvement. There was a small decline in the rate of imprisonment within a year of release. That number dropped from 49.1 percent in 2005-06 to 47.5 percent in 2007-08.

The report found the highest recidivism rate among parolees aged 24 or younger.

Among the key findings,:

• Most felons who recidivate return to prison within a year of release.

• Re-released felons recidivate at a rate 16.8 percentage points higher than those released for the first time.

• Females have a 58 percent recidivism rate.

• Younger felons recidivate at the highest rate. Seventy-five percent of those released at age 24 or younger return to prison.

• Those committing property crimes consistently recidivate at a higher rate than those convicted of crimes against persons and drug crimes.

• 64.6 percent of felons required to register as sex offenders recidivate. Of those, 86 percent go back to prison because of a parole violation.

• Inmates housed in reception centers for at least 30 days prior to release have a recidivism rate that is higher than any other institutional mission.

To view the report, click here.

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