<p> The purpose of the descriptive, quantitative study was to examine recidivism rates of mentally ill incarcerated individuals. With data provided by the Florida Department of Corrections, the current study sought to describe recidivism rates of mentally ill offenders who, within three years of release, returned to prison. The use of descriptive statistics provided information through means, modes, and frequencies, which led to incorporating logistic regression to provide further details concerning recidivism. The sample consisted initially of more than 120,000 offenders released, and narrowed to more than 20,000 released with a mental health diagnosis in the studied time frame, 2005 to 2008. The study consisted of 11 categorical and individual diagnoses while incorporating analyses of demographics, crimes committed, educational level, past incarcerations, and other variables in relation to mental health diagnoses. The results identified those with a mental health diagnosis were more apt to return to prison within the three-year time frame than those with no diagnosis. Specifically, those with a Schizophrenia diagnosis had a higher recidivism rate than the other diagnoses studied. Other variables found positive for recidivism were age, gender, and prior prison arrest record.</p>