Day Reporting Center and Recidivism: Comparing Offender Groups in a Western Pennsylvania County Study

Abstract

In this study the authors report on an investigation comparing the recidivism and other variables of two similar offender populations in a western Pennsylvania county. The two groups were comparable in offense type, size (N = 63 for each) and other variables such as sex, race and age range. One group represented offenders who received a sentence that included incarceration, whereas the treatment group offenders were sentenced to some form of day reporting and other intermediate punishment measures. In addition, the authors investigated recidivism within 36 months of the sentence, with recidivism qualified as probationary violations as well as rearrests. Results indicate that day reporting sentencing not only saved the county incarceration costs, but also yielded a lower recidivism rate to a statistically significant degree. Additional research is needed to further clarify and test the efficacy of day reporting as an intermediate sentencing option.

KEYWORDS:

• community corrections
• community-based rehabilitation
• day reporting centers
• probation outcomes

Notes

^a Hispanic and Asian were collapsed into “other.”

^b Prior to sentencing.

^c These data were not reported by county.

^d Outpatient = Level 1; intensive outpatient = Level 2; partial = Level 3; short-term residential = Level 4; long-term residential/HWH = Level 5.

^a Includes nonviolent level three and four offenses.

*p < .01.