A new report from The Council of State Governments Justice Center highlights eight states that have had significant reductions in both recidivism and crime rates.
The recidivism rate — defined as the percentage of those whose return to prison within three years of release — ranged from about 6 percent to 18 percent in Connecticut, Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina and Wisconsin, according to the report.
Researchers analyzed statewide data from 2007 to 2010 with a three-year follow-up period.
The report pointed to specific strategies that reduced recidivism, including: investing in community-based treatment, tailoring approaches to individual needs and providing incentives for participation in programs designed to reduce likelihood of a person reoffending.
Drops in crime rates in the states highlighted coincided with decreases in recidivism rates, according to the report.
Researchers noted that, “the data in this report … are more recent than those in any other report examining recidivism in multiple states.”
Read the full report HERE.