Recidivism: a tendency to relapse into a previous condition or mode of behavior; especially: relapse into criminal behavior [see: Merriam-Webster]

The PEW/ASCA survey (PEW State of Recidivism) states that the three year return-to-prison rate for inmates released in 1999 to be 45.4%, and then 43.3% for those released in 2004. Arizona Correctional Industries (ACI) is committed to help further reduce these rates.

Reports indicate that Correctional Industry programs such as ACI, have the greatest impact on reducing recidivism. The Arizona Prosecuting Attorneys’ Advisory Council report titled: PRISONERS IN ARIZONA, A Profile of the Inmate Population, March 2010, authored by Dr. Daryl Fischer

states, “Among the programs evaluated, ACI proved to be the most effective reducing recidivism by 31.6%.” Over time, the impact of reducing recidivism is substantial when considering the average cost of housing an inmate is $60.73* per day. With a median sentence of 2.5 years the average cost savings could be as much as $55,428 per inmate.

 

"It is also important that we do everything we can to ensure that when these people get out of prison, they enter our communities as productive members of society, so we can start to reverse the dangerous cycles of recidivism and violence.”
U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy, (D-VT, chair, Judiciary Committee)
July 21, 2010

"Drug and alcohol addiction must be broken; discipline and job skills must be learned. When that can be done better, outside of expensive prison walls, that is what we should do. Results matter, public safety matters, taxpayer dollars matter, saving lives and restoring families matter.”
Chief Justice William Ray Price Jr., Supreme Court of Missouri
February 9, 2011

Additional Information [click on release dates to view reports]:
Bureau of Justice Statistics Special Report: Recidivism of Prisoners Released 1994 [June 2002]
Arizona Inmate Recidivism Study [May 2005]
Prisoners in Arizona [March 2010]
PEW State of Recidivism [April 2011]