Probation and parole re-entry education program: recidivism and prisoner re-entry for firearm violations

Abstract

Recidivism refers to a person’s regression back to criminal behavior, usually after serving time for aprevious crime. Nationwide efforts are made to reduce the rate of recidivism as well as lowering the number of violent crime incidents involving firearms. Several studies observed the positive influence of educating prisoners which contributes to the decline of recidivism. Researchers are interested to see if these programs are successful in reducing recidivism. This research project sought to evaluate the effectiveness of the Probation and Parole Re-Entry Education Program (PPREP) implemented by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Oklahoma. This program targeted probationers and parolees that have been convicted and sentenced for committing felonies in Oklahoma County. As a condition of their probation or parole, offenders are required to attend a PPREP session following their release. Methods of tracking recidivism rates as well as the rate of firearms use from these participants can help identify whether this program is effective or not. Even though this project is not able to compare recidivism rates for firearm-related offenses, it can potentially show overall recidivism rates among certain individuals, trends in Oklahoma and Oklahoma County, and general effectiveness of PPREP overall.