Multistate Criminal History Patterns of Prisoners Released in 30 States

11 PERCENT OF PRISONERS RELEASED IN 30 STATES IN 2005 WERE ARRESTED IN ANOTHER STATE WITHIN 5 YEARS

WASHINGTON – An estimated 11 percent of nearly 405,000 prisoners released in 30 states in 2005 were arrested at least once in another state within five years of release, the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) announced today. The rate at which these prisoners were arrested in another state within five years varied by the state of release from 6 to 26 percent.  

The 30 states in the study were responsible for about three-quarters of all state prisoners released nationwide in 2005. Nearly three-quarters of prisoners in the study were granted conditional release and placed on parole, probation or some other form of community supervision, while about a quarter were granted unconditional release.

During the 5-year follow-up period, state prisoners released unconditionally were arrested in another state at a higher rate than those released conditionally. An estimated 9 percent of prisoners released conditionally were arrested in another state compared to 15 percent of prisoners released unconditionally.

Prior to their release in 2005, three-quarters of the released prisoners had no arrests outside the state where they had served time, while a quarter were arrested at least once in another state. Among the prisoners who had been arrested in more than one state prior to their release, 72 percent had been arrested in two states, 18 percent in three states and 9 percent in four or more states.

During the 5-year follow-up period, prisoners who had prior out-of-state arrests were more likely to be arrested outside of the state that released them than those with no prior out-of-state arrests. Following release, an estimated 6 percent of prisoners with no prior out-of-state arrests and 34 percent who had four or more prior out-of-state arrests were arrested outside the state that released them within five years.

Younger inmates were more likely than older inmates to have an out-of-state arrest following release. An estimated 12 percent of state prisoners under age 40 had an out-of-state arrest following release, compared to 8 percent of those age 40 or older. Five years after release from prison in 2005, males (11 percent) were more likely than females (9 percent) to have been arrested at least once in a state other than the one that released them. During the 5-year period following release, 13 percent of whites, 10 percent of blacks and 8 percent of Hispanics were arrested in another state.

Other findings show that within five years of release in 2005—

• 77 percent of prisoners were arrested either within or outside the state of release; however, examining arrests within the state of release only, an estimated 72 percent of prisoners were arrested within five years of release.
• 29 percent of prisoners were arrested for a violent offense either within or outside the state of release, 26 percent of prisoners were arrested for a violent crime within the state of release and 3 percent were arrested for a violent crime outside the state of release.
• 5 percent of prisoners were arrested outside the state of release for a property crime, 4 percent for a drug crime and 7 percent for a public order offense, such as probation violations, weapons offenses or disorderly conduct.

The report, Multistate Criminal History Patterns of Prisoners Released in 30 States (NCJ 248942), was written by BJS statisticians Matthew R. Durose, Howard N. Snyder and Alexia D. Cooper. The report, related documents, and additional information about the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ statistical publications and programs can be found on the BJS website at http://www.bjs.gov/.

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The Office of Justice Programs (OJP), headed by Assistant Attorney General Karol V. Mason, provides federal leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to prevent and control crime, administer justice, and assist victims. OJP has six components: the Bureau of Justice Assistance; the Bureau of Justice Statistics; the National Institute of Justice; the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; the Office for Victims of Crime; and the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking. More information about OJP can be found at http://www.ojp.gov.