What is Recidivism?

Recidivism is when a person has committed a criminal offense and has been convicted of repeating a crime or reoffending after receiving punishment or serving a sentence.

The term “recidivism” is primarily used regarding substance abuse and criminal behavior, but also in medicine where the term “recidivism” is a synonym of the word “relapse.”

Recidivism Rate Definition

Recidivism rates are a helpful tool that many nations make use of. The rating enables governments, civil advocacy groups, and others, to calculate the number of convicted individuals who re-offend and re-enter the prison system. This information can be particularly helpful to amend the penal system accordingly and how to rehabilitate inmates better to prevent them from reoffending, even the strengthening of systems outside of prison to help inmates reintegrate into the general population. The recidivism rate can differ substantially depending on what laws the said state implements.