The purpose of this study is to evaluate the deterrent effect of imprisonment. Using data on offenders convicted of felonies in 1993 in Jackson County (Kansas City), Missouri, we compare recidivism rates for offenders sentenced to prison with those for offenders placed on probation. We find no evidence that imprisonment reduces the likelihood of recidivism. Instead, we find compelling evidence that offenders who are sentenced to prison have higher rates of recidivism and recidivate more quickly than do offenders placed on probation. We also find persuasive evidence that imprisonment has a more pronounced criminogenic effect on drug offenders than on other types of offenders.

One aim of residential drug treatment programs for drug offenders released from prison is to reduce recidivism rates for these offenders. However, research on this topic has shown mixed results on the effectiveness of such programs, and all of the factors that influence whether an individual will recidivate are still unclear. This study explored the relationship between criminal classification levels of drug offenders and the length of time spent in residential treatment and the effects that this relationship had on drug offenders' odds of recidivism. Data from case history records of drug-involved offenders in Florida from 1991 to 1997 were analyzed to determine whether the length of time in treatment reduced these offenders' odds of recidivism, whether offenders convicted of a felony 1 level offense were more or less likely to recidivate compared to those convicted of a felony 2 or 3 level offense, and whether there was an interaction effect of length of time in treatment and criminal classification level on offenders' odds of recidivism. Binary logistic regression analysis shows that the more time a drug offender spends in residential treatment, the higher the offender's odds of recidivism; drug offenders convicted of a felony 1 level offense were less likely to recidivate than offenders convicted of a felony 2 or 3 level offense; and that there was no interaction effect of length of time spent in treatment and criminal classification level on drug offenders' odds of recidivism. / Master of Science

Probation Officers' Attitudes on Illinois Electronic Monitoring Program For Drug Offenders by Erika Jones-Dilworth MPA, Governors State University, 2009 BS, Governors State University, 2007 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Public Policy & Administration Walden University November 2018

Illegal substance use in the United States is a growing problem, and a western state has a higher than average rate of drug offenders. Many courts, including misdemeanor courts, have limited to no budget for drug treatment programs outside of the drug court treatment programs. As such, many court-ordered drug treatment programs, when drug counseling is ordered in exchange for a reduction in charges, are outsourced to privately owned companies. The drug counseling entails a single 8-hour outsourced drug counseling course, which includes either in-person, online, or correspondence-based counseling. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of the three modalities of the lower level drug counseling course. Effectiveness was measured by comparing recidivism rates of offenders completing each of the three modalities of the program. A second goal of the study was to investigate whether relationships exist in recidivism rates as a function of modality of program delivery, type of drug used by offenders, risk of re-offense, or an interaction between the three. Archival data (N = 395) were collected from a misdemeanor court, and the results of an ordinal logistic regression indicated a statistically significant relationship between recidivism, risk, and modalities of counseling. The modality that was most effective was the online modality of counseling, for offenders who had no risk, and reduced the potential for recidivism by 79%. The results of this study could assist the local government in determining the effectiveness of each of the three modalities of the abbreviated drug counseling program and assist in future decisions regarding development of drug counseling programs and necessary funding for those programs, providing potential for positive social change.