2022 Pennsylvania Department of Corrections Recidivism Report
Pennsylvania Department of Corrections (DOC) Acting Secretary George Little announced today the release of the 2022 Pennsylvania Department of Corrections Recidivism Report, published by the DOC's Bureau of Planning, Research and Statistics.
Recidivism refers to the re-arrest or re-incarceration of individuals who have previously been incarcerated. The report released today examines many aspects of recidivism at the state level broken down by demographics, crime types, and geographic areas within Pennsylvania. It also includes information about the impact of various programs and policies intended to reduce recidivism.
"Recidivism is a key performance indicator for the DOC because our mission is to reduce criminal behavior in the commonwealth," said Acting Secretary Little. "This report is full of actionable information to guide decisions of not only department leadership, but also lawmakers and other stakeholders who are working toward the same goal."
The report finds that the recidivism rate – as traditionally defined – in Pennsylvania remains steady, with little change over at least the past 15 years. Approximately two-thirds of reentrants released from a DOC facility are either re-arrested or return to DOC custody within three years of release. Recidivism is expensive, costing taxpayers approximately $3.1 billion each year. Even a 5% reduction in recidivism would save the DOC an estimated $1.9 million per year.
2022 Pennsylvania Department of Corrections Recidivism Report