Prison Readmission Among Older Adult Offenders: Correlates of Recidivism

Background and Purpose: Though evidence exists that recidivism decreases with age (Chettiar et al., 2012; Fellner et al., 2012), few studies have examined 1) rates and 2) correlates of recidivism among distinct groups of older adult prisoners. The current study aimed to examine rates and correlates of recidivism (i.e., prison readmission) among discrete age groups of older adult prisoners (45≥). As suggested by life course criminological theory (Farrington, 2003; Sampson & Laub, 2005), it was hypothesized that recidivism rates would decrease with age, differ among older adult groups, and that correlates would be unlike those commonly held as contributors to prison readmission for younger adult prisoners (<45; i.e., violent crime, unemployment).

Methods: A secondary data set of all prisoners age 45 and older (n=6,522) released from the North Carolina Department of Public Safety between 2004 and 2005 was used to examine rates and correlates of recidivism among three discrete age categories of older adults (45-54, 55-64, 65+). Measures included demographic (e.g., race, gender, pre-arrest employment status) and criminogenic characteristics (e.g., number of previous offences, current time served, current charge). Frequencies, descriptive, bivariate statistics, and multiple binary logistic regressions (recidivism during 4-year post-release period) were used to meet the aforementioned study aims.

Results: This sample of older adults most often identified as minority (n=3,832; 58.8%), male (n=5,605; 87.1%), employed at arrest (n=4,161; 63.8%), and as having approximately 11 years of formal education (M=10.00; SD=2.2 years). The older adults were more often non-violent offenders (n=5,196; 80.8%) with approximately four previous offences (M=3.43; SD=5.07) and current time served of roughly 618 days (SD=14,808). Just over one third of the older adults were readmitted during the four-year post-release period (n=2,190; 34%). The hypotheses were supported: recidivism rates differed among discrete older adult age groups using cross-tabulations (45-54: 37%; 55-64: 26.7%; 65+: 11.8%; χ²=102.67, p<.001) and measures of co-variance (partial η²=.01, p<.01). Model-data fit was adequate (χ²=259.48(10); p=.000) and odds ratios reflected decreased risk from youngest to oldest age groups (-.50 to -1.42, p<.000). Education-level (β=-.004; p=.74) and prior commission of a violent offence (β=-.07; p=.35) did not account for variation for this sample of older adults, though both factors are considered known correlates of recidivism.

Conclusions and Implications: Findings provide further evidence that prison readmission decreases with age and extend previous research by highlighting correlates of recidivism for older adults differ from those often cited as risk factors for younger adult prisoners as is posited in age-graded theories of crime. Future research must focus on increasing our understanding of factors associated with prison readmission for older adults. Reduced access to supportive housing, victimization by younger prisoners, limited educational and vocational programming, inadequate healthcare services, and growing costs of care make imprisonment of the elderly a public health emergency (Chettiar et al., 2012; HRW, 2012). In light of these concerns, results serve as a foundation for sentencing and parole reformation and, subsequently, efforts to enhance equity and justice for elderly prisoners by highlighting reduced risk and unique factors associated with recidivism among older adult prisoners.