Recidivism Rates - NC DOC Prisoners Released To Mecklenburg County

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1 Recidivism Rates - NC DOC Prisoners Released To Mecklenburg County Overview This analysis briefly examines the post-release criminal activity (i.e., recidivism 1 ) of individuals returning to Mecklenburg County following a period of incarceration in a North Carolina prison. A random sample (n=400) of all prisoners released to the county between September 1, 2009 and December 31, 2011 was used. During that period, a total of 3,169 offenders returned to the county. The review extends to December 31, General Observations Offenders released to Mecklenburg County were predominantly male (94%) and black (76%). Their average age at admission to DOC was 33; the average age at discharge, 34. A majority of the released offenders had a history of substance abuse (60 percent) and unemployment (53 percent), while 7 percent self-reported a history of mental health issues. Criminal History Eighty percent of offenders had been imprisoned for a felony conviction; the largest majority (69 percent), of which were for a Class F - I violation. Ten percent were released from a Class A1-3 misdemeanor sentence. On average, an offender had eight previous convictions and, for sentencing purposes, was classified by North Carolina as a Level III defendant. Nearly half of those released had been incarcerated for a probation violation. The vast majority (87 percent) were under probationary supervision prior to their most recent incarceration. Half had previously served an active prison sentence. (See Table 2) Table 2. History of Criminal Behavior Average number of prior convictions: 8 Average prior record level: III Average sentence length in months: 52 % Incarcerated for violating probation: 49% Current offense class: Felony - Class F-I 69% Felony - Class C-E 11% Misdemeanor Class A1-3 10% Post Release Revocations 6% Other 4% Had a previous incarceration (twice on average) 50% Had a previous probationary sentence (three times on average) 87% 1 An offender is considered to have recidivated if arrested on a new charge following release. 1

2 Percent with Multiple Arrests Percent Rearrested Post-Release Arrests 2,3 Thirty-five percent of offenders were re-arrested within one year of their release. The rate of recidivism increased to 47 percent over two years. 4 Half of those rearrested failed within 174 days of their release. 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 32% 24% 14% 4% Figure 2. Recidivism Rate 47% 41% 43% 39% 44% 35% 29% State Average Days The length of time to an offender s first post-release arrest was found to be predictive of their likelihood for multiple arrest events following their release. Sixty-four percent of offenders who recidivated were arrested more the once in the two-year period reviewed. The sooner an offender was arrested following release, the more likely he was to have multiple arrest events. For example, 93 percent of those arrested within 30 days of their release were arrested again at a later date. 5 (See Figure 3) Figure 3. Likelihood of Mutiltiple Arrest Events 100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 0% 93% 80% 76% 55% 38% Days to First Post-Release Arrest 2 Only arrests occurring in Mecklenburg County are considered. 3 Based on most serious charge. 4 A 2009 NC Sentencing and Policy Advisory Commission study found a first-year recidivism rate of 29 percent and a two-year rate of 44 percent. 5 This observation is consistent with National Research Council (2007) findings that offenders are most at risk to reoffend in the first months following release and underscores the importance of incorporating prisoner re-entry best practices to reduce recidivism. 2

3 Focusing on the first post-release arrest, charges were generally distributed among violent (27 percent), drug- (25 percent), and property-related (21 percent) crimes. Misdemeanors were the dominant charge class, representing 39 percent of all the initial arrest events, followed closely by felonies (35 percent). Ten percent of arrests were the result of a traffic violation. (See Figure 4) Figure 4. Post-Release Arrest Types 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% Violent Drug Property Other Traffic 10% 17% 21% 25% 27% 3

4 GEOGRAPHIC RELOCATION A brief GIS analysis was performed to identify the neighborhoods which offenders were returning and to better understand the health or capacity these neighborhoods to support the offender. The results of the analysis are depicted on the map found on page 5. The colors represent the number of offenders returning to a particular neighborhood. Those colored red received the greatest number of offenders (between 79 and 138), while those colored green received the fewest (up to 25). As evident in the map, prison returns are heavily concentrated in an arc that extends clockwise from south to east Charlotte. Remarkably, while these neighborhoods represent slightly more than one-third of the county s population, they receive nearly 70 percent of all returning offenders. According to the Quality of Life Study 6, which assesses the social, economic, crime, and physical characteristics of neighborhoods, 27 percent of those within the arc were considered challenged; that is, they offered below average quality of life when compared to the rest of Mecklenburg County. County-wide, only 16 percent of neighborhoods are considered challenged. Such conditions suggest that a sizeable portion of offenders return to communities may be poorly equipped to provide the support and resources necessary to moderate an offender s criminogenic risk factors, those characteristics which make criminal activity more likely. Additional analysis is necessary to better understand the impact of returning offenders on neighborhoods and the resource needs and strategies necessary to facilitate their successful return to the community. 6 An annual analysis performed by the City of Charlotte which assesses the social, economic, crime, and physical characteristics of neighborhoods. The report is found at: 4

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