Suzuki Law Offices have devised a study that compares states with the highest and lowest recidivism rates (the tendency of a convicted criminal to reoffend), uncovering significant disparities in how effectively different states rehabilitate former inmates. The analysis relates to the U.S., focusing on state-wide metrics.
According to recent studies, 600,000 prisoners are released annually, and 71 percent return to prison within five years. The average cost per inmate in the U.S. is $31,286 per year
The analysis shows that Delaware leads with the highest recidivism rate at 64.5 percent, while South Carolina reports the lowest at 21 percent. Even states with the lowest rates still exceed 20 percent, pointing to some systemic limitations within the U.S. criminal justice system.
These liitations partly relate to the more reasons for reoffending – harsh prison conditions and including isolation – both tend to increase recidivism
These are key socioeconomic issues, since the financial burden of high recidivism rates impacts communities across the U.S. With over 1.9 million people currently incarcerated, the criminal justice system costs taxpayers more than $182 billion annually.
These findings highlight the successes of some states, and the urgent need for reform for others.
Top 5 highest recidivism rate states are:
1 Delaware
2 Alaska
3 Arkansas
4 Rhode Island
5 Colorado
Property crimes have the highest five-year recidivism rate at 78.3 percent, driven by shorter sentences and the nature of the crime.
In contrast, the top 5 lowest recidivism rate states were found to be:
1 South Carolina
2 Oklahoma
3 Virginia
4 West Virginia
5 Florida
As indicated above, Delaware reports the highest recidivism rate; this is in contrast to Virginia, which has the lowest rate at 23.4 percent.
Delving deeper into the findings, the situation can be redressed. Evidence shows that comprehensive re-entry programs, such as education and job training initiatives, can significantly reduce these costs while improving public safety.
As an example, programs like Mount Tamalpais College report a 17 percent recidivism rate, showing that prison education programs can dramatically reduce reoffending.
In another example, the firm Reentry Alabama reduced recidivism from 30% to just 4%, demonstrating the impact of targeted re-entry support.
