Bureau of Justice Statistics Recidivism Reports

Topics:
Community Supervision: Probation and Parole
Correctional Supervision: Prisons and Jails
Criminal and Juvenile Records
Second Chance Month


Within the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Justice Programs, the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) collects criminal history data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and state record repositories to study recidivism patterns of various offenders, including persons on probation or discharged from prison.

Within their Recidivism and Reentry portfolio, BJS recently released two reports focused on longitudinal studies of recidivism among individuals released from state prisons:
 

Recidivism of Prisoners Released in 34 States in 2012 report coverRecidivism of Prisoners Released in 34 States in 2012: A 5-Year Follow-Up Period (2012–2017)
July 2021

This report describes the recidivism patterns of state prisoners released in 2012, for 5 years following release, by their demographic characteristics, commitment offense, and prior criminal history. The report also compares the recidivism rates of prisoners released in 2012 to those of prisoners released in 2005 and 2008.

Recidivism of Prisoners Released in 24 States in 2008 report coverRecidivism of Prisoners Released in 24 States in 2008: A 10-Year Follow-Up Period (2008–2018)
September 2021

This report presents recidivism statistics on state prisoners released in 2008 during the 10 years following their release. The report describes the recidivism patterns of state prisoners released in 2008 by demographic characteristics, commitment offense, and prior criminal history. This is BJS’s first recidivism study with a 10-year follow-up period.