In April, we celebrate Second Chance Month, a time to reflect on the challenges individuals face when returning home from jail or prison. Last month, the White House released its proclamation on Second Chance Month, which stated that America was founded on the promise of new beginnings.
The same day the proclamation was released, my first program participant moved into my reentry home for men. While this was a proud moment for me, it also highlighted the difficulties that males and females face when they return home from jail or prison. Trying to restart life with no ID, money, job, home, car, clothes, or food is just as difficult as you might imagine. Thus, it should not be surprising that almost half of the individuals released from prison return to prison within 5 years.
More Challenges, Less Recidivism
Furthermore, while males and females face the same basic challenges in reintegrating into their communities, females often face additional challenges, especially if they have children, due to the likelihood of also being the primary caregiver for any child under 18. The National Institute of Justice found that the average incarcerated female has about 2.5 children.
In addition to parental challenges, Covington highlights that incarcerated women typically report more co-occurring psychiatric disorders, lower self-esteem, and past physical and sexual abuse. Yet still, females overall have a lower recidivism rate than males. Looking at the results from data on females released in 2012 show that of those released from prison, 63.1% were rearrested, 46.5% were convicted, and 34% returned to prison. For males, 71.7% were rearrested, 55.4% were convicted, and 47.2% returned to prison.
What the Numbers Say About Recidivism
The top 4 post-release offenses for females are property, drug, public order, and violent offenses. Chart 1 shows the percentage of arrests that were made for each post-release offense. Percentages exceed 100% due to the possibility of a person being arrested multiple times for different offenses and because each arrest may involve more than one offense.
Chart 1:Percentage of Female Arrests by Post-Release Offense.
Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, Recidivism of State Prisoners Released in 2012 data collection, 2012–2017.
Chart 2 shows the post-release arrest percentages for females by the most serious commitment offense for which they were previously incarcerated. Here, we can see that females who were previously incarcerated for violent offenses are least likely to be arrested again within 5 years of their release.
Chart 2: Percentage of Post-release Arrests for Females by the Most Serious Commitment Offense
Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, Recidivism of State Prisoners Released in 2012 data collection, 2012–2017.
No One Is Perfect
This month let’s remember that we all make mistakes and sometimes need a second chance. Instead of financing the adult care of able-bodied individuals, let’s invest more in programs that help stabilize and empower justice-involved individuals to turn their lives around and be productive citizens of society.
