Research Paper on Recidivism

Introduction

Recidivism is the tendency of a convicted criminal to relapse into a previous condition or mode of behavior. There are several factors that enhance rates of recidivism. One of the primary impacts of recidivism is the lack of employment opportunities for ex-convicts. The other contributing factor is that most ex-convicts return to the environment that influenced their behavior in the first place, thus finding it hard to change. The disconnection between society and the convicts also render them without social skills that would enable them to cope up with the dynamic society when they finally are finally released. However, there are proven evidence-based practice that can be applied in reducing recidivism. The primary objective of this article is to discuss the research methods used in three social work articles that relate to how recidivism can be reduced in society. Additionally, the paper will discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each methodology, explain how each method used in the three articles either strengthened or weakened the reported results and identify how one would have used a different methodology to achieve a stronger result in at least one article.

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The first article to be covered in this discussion is "How Promising is the Second Chance Act in Reducing Recidivism among Male Ex-Offenders in Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi?" A quantitative research method was used in this paper to determine the effectiveness of reentry programs as stipulated in the Second Chance Act of 2007in minimizing recidivism among male ex-offenders in the southern states of Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia. The study uses a longitudinal data that covers a time-frame of 1995 and 2001. The data was retrieved from U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Justice Statistics and U.S. Bureau of Prisons. The population under study was mainly composed of young male ex-offenders between the ages of 18 and 39. The study areas were states of Alabama, Mississippi, and Alabama. The states were chosen since they are highly riddled with high rates of incarcerations that are in tandem with socio-demographic indicators. The researchers used an ordinary least square regression method to test the formulated hypothesis and a segmented time series regression to test the third hypothesis. The last quantitative modeling (segmented time series regression) was used to compare the trends in recidivism before the Second Chance Act was enacted with the trends after implementation of the Act to determine if there are any significant differences between the two trends (Amasa-Annang & Scutelnicu, 2016). The dependent variable that was used in this study was recidivism among young male ex-offenders and it was operationalized as a re-conviction with fresh court sentences that are imposed on ex-offenders within a period of three years. There are four predictor variables in the study. In the analysis, the paper employs OLS with strong standard errors to minimize violations of error term independence. The variables Hispanic male and males of other races were normalized using logarithm. The results showed that just as reflected in the hypothesis, Black imprisoned males showed higher rates of recidivism than other imprisoned males under study.

The quantitative research method was instrumental in providing Amasa-Annang and Scutelnicu with a fast and effective way of studying a large sample of young male ex-convicts to determine their rates of recidivism. It allowed the researchers to gather objective, numerical data which they used to come up with a valid conclusion. The research method was very straightforward hence it enabled Amasa-Annang and Scutelnicu to compare the results of different variables under study. The statistical method of data collection enabled the researchers to understand and interpret complex characteristics of the data. Lastly, the data that was collected by the duo could be used for future studies. Despite the positive impact of the quantitative research method on the study, the method also negatively affected the research. The data that was used required time and money to be collected since it was big and it covered a big geographic region.

The second article to be covered in this discussion is "Benefits of Inmate Employment Programs: Evidence from the Prison Industry Enhancement Certification Program." The research method used in this study was quantitative. Hopper obtained data for the study from the Indiana and Tennessee Departments of Corrections. The two datasets were merged using the DOC's unique prisoner identification numbers. Recidivism event was the binary independent variable of interest and it was suitable for logistic regression. To establish the effect of PIECP participation, Hopper used a logit model which was specified with independent variables for race, education, prior recidivism, and gender (2013). In addressing the issue of bias in the regression analysis, Hopper ensured that the inmates included in the regression analysis had similar observable characteristics by using the prosperity score. He included the omitted variable into the regression to solve the indigeneity issue. The results of the study showed that the variables that are expected to be predictive of recidivism such as sentence length, age and previous cases of recidivism showed statistical significance across different models and the results of the chi-square ratio are high enough to reject the null hypothesis that all coefficients are equal to zero.

The title of a research paper should portray important information that shares the research variables in quantitative studies (Hopper, 2013). The title of the research paper include all the PICO components (Population, Intervention, Comparison, and Outcome). Based on the information presented in the article, the group being studied are young men who had been released from jail and the study focused on their ability to experience recidivism. The study problem indicated that there are no national studies on recidivism of young ex-convicts that would have been instrumental in assisting on the research. The objective of this study was to quantify race, education, prior recidivism and gender among the study group that was generated from a random sample and sees how this affect their rate of recidivism. The independent variable from the title can be identified as recidivism and the dependent variables from the study can be identified as race, education, gender, and prior recidivism. The research questions were formally stated in the introduction of the research paper. However, there was no formal statement of hypothesis within the context of the article. In general, the quantitative research method was effectively used by Hopper in the research paper. The data used in the paper was numerical and large, thus only quantitative research was suitable for the study. The research method enables the researcher to gather numerical data which yielded a valid outcome. The research method was simple and straightforward, thus it enabled Hopper to understand and effectively interpret the data.

The third article to be discussed is "Reducing Recidivism and Symptoms in Emerging Adults with Serious Mental Health Conditions and Justice System Involvement." The study employs a quantitative research method to determine the effectiveness of an adaptation of Multisystemic Therapy (MST) as an intervention of reducing offending behaviors among young offender with or without SMHC. The study participants were aged between 17-20 and had an MH diagnosis and recent arrest. The data that was used in the study was collected from participants, official arrest records and therapist logs. The results showed that there were positive findings that proved subsequent testing of MT-EA in a large clinical trial with the adaptation of MST of use in the emerging adults with SMHC and recent justice system.

Davis, Sheidow and McCart used a quantitative approach in the scope of the research. This enabled for the collection of enough data that can be used for inferences and finding results. Additionally, having a quantitative approach helped the researcher to uniquely identify hypotheses and objective test the role that certain aspects play in recidivism among the participants. For instance, with quantitative research, the number of people young ex-convicts was monitored. With this monitoring, the trends in the numbers and the effectiveness of recidivism treatments were identified. Time factors in the consequences of recidivism are also a major part of the research study. With this research method, the researcher got insight on the way that people would identify themselves if they are experiencing recidivism. However, this research would have yielded more conclusive results if the researchers had formulated a hypothesis at the introductory level of the research. They would have also used a comprehensive methodology that highlights the study areas and the amount of data used in the study.

References

Amasa-Annang, J., & Scutelnicu, G. (2016). How Promising is the Second Chance Act in Reducing Recidivism among Male Ex-Offenders in Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi? Journal of Public Management & Social Policy, 23(2), 3.

Davis, M., Sheidow, A. J., & McCart, M. R. (2015). Reducing recidivism and symptoms in emerging adults with serious mental health conditions and justice systeminvolvement. The journal of behavioral health services & research, 42(2), 172-190.

Hopper, J. D. (2013). Benefits of Inmate Employment Programs: Evidence from the Prison Industry Enhancement Certification Program. Journal of Business & Economics Research (Online), 11(5), 213.