The New Jersey Department of Correction's Research and Evaluation
Unit is currently working on the following empirical research projects:
The Influence of GED Obtainment on Inmate Release
Outcome
Abstract - This study's focal point is the
effect of GED obtainment on inmate recidivism. The final sample
includes 403 offenders released from New Jersey institutions between
the years 1999 and 2000. The sample of 250 GED participants included
all inmates who passed their GED exams and were released during
the study period, while the remaining comparison sample of 153 included
offenders who were matched to the GED group on all characteristics,
with the exception that they lacked a high school degree. Sixty-six
percent of non-GED participants recidivated once released, compared
with 50 percent of GED participants. Leaving prison with at least
the equivalent of a high school diploma improves significantly the
chances that one will not recidivate, even after considering the
other usual suspects in offender research. Other factors that are
important along with GED participation in curbing recidivism include
fewer years spent in prison, being older and/or married at the time
of arrest, and committing a violent as opposed to non-violent offense.
While an offender's participation in GED programming is predictive
of no recidivism, once an offender recidivates, the value of the
GED participation depreciates and has no discernible effect on the
raw number of re-offenses. Therefore, GED participation is an insignificant
predictor of the number of post-release arrests.
Recidivism among Homicide Offenders: An Exploratory
Analysis of 336 Homicide Offenders in NJ
Abstract - Despite a great deal of information
on various types of offenders, there is only limited longitudinal
research on the offending patterns, typologies, and recidivism of
different types of homicide perpetrators. A random sample of 336
homicide offenders who were released between the years 1990 and
2000 from the New Jersey Department of Corrections were identified
and followed for a minimum of 5 years. These offenders were tracked
to determine if incarcerated homicide offenders who have no criminal
histories prior to their current homicide conviction recidivated
less, and which specific variables correlated with recidivism. After
the analysis, it became apparent that there were many diversities
in our sample of 336 released homicide offenders, and these diversities
cannot be clearly captured with the existing typologies aimed primarily
to explore the minds of the murderers. As a result of this discovery,
we conceptualized a new four-fold typology of homicide offenders:
1) offenders who committed a homicide that was precipitated by a
general altercation or argument, 2) offenders who committed a homicide
during the commission of a felony, 3) offenders who committed a
domestic violence-related homicide, and 4) offenders who were charged
with a degree of homicide after an accident. Statistical analysis
was completed to determine which variables correlated with the different
types of recidivism and which of the four types of homicide offenders
recidivated. In conclusion, we found that the highest risk of recidivism
for new violent or drug crimes were the felony homicide group (slightly
over one-third), followed by the altercation-precipitated homicide
offenders (under one-third), which was in sharp contrast to the
domestic violence homicide offenders with less than 10% recidivism
due to a new violent or drug offense. This exploratory study shows
that a homicide typology can be a stable predictor of homicide offender
recidivism if it is structurally grounded to examine the complex
articulation of relations between offender characteristics and their
post-incarceration behavior.
Megan's Law: Establishing the Practical Efficacy
& Monetary Value
Abstract - This is an ongoing initiative scheduled
to last 18 months (3 phases). This project will culminate into the
first study of its kind in the USA to assess the empirical efficacy
of New Jersey's Megan's Law. Through collaboration with the New
Jersey State Police, the Prosecutor's Megan's Law unit, Associates
in Psychological Services and Rutgers University, the study will
assess the prevalence rates of sex offense arrest preceding and
subsequent to the initiation of the Megan's Law legislation. Since
there are few outcome studies on Megan's Law, there is an untested
directive on how effective the law is in reducing sex offenses and
re-arrests for sex offenses. This initiative is funded in full by
a research grant from the National Institute of Justice.
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