Recidivism Rates Down in Connecticut

A recent article on ctmirror.org highlights discussions at a recent symposium where experts from places like Connecticut, Chicago, and New York shared how they have managed to reduce recidivism rates.  The article states that Connecticut’s recidivism rate has gone from 47% in 2007 to now 41%.

According to the article, the executive director of the state’s Judicial Branch Court Support Services Division stated at the symposium that the reasons for Connecticut’s success include:

1. increasing the ratio of parole officers from 1 for every 250 ex-offenders to 1 for every 48,
2. training parole officers to better engage with clients and build trust,
3. working collaboratively with other state agencies to help ex-offenders get certain services, and
4. closely tracking results to measure effectiveness and improve accountability.

According to the article, symposium speakers suggested that to reduce recidivism, other issues worth addressing include:

1. the role unemployment plays in the commission of crime,
2. ex-offenders’ anti-social attitudes, and
3. a need to focus on higher-risk individuals.