Fewer Felons Return After Sentences in Prison Than in Local Jails

A Correction Department study says fewer inmates at state prisons are returning after being released. But a majority of the state’s felons are housed at local jails, and the study says that group is becoming more likely to return.

The study looked at which inmates wound up back in prison within three years of release. It found recidivism dropped among inmates released from state prison. But the rate went up for felons serving their time in county jails.

Commissioner Gaile Ray says prisons have the advantage of programs to rehabilitate inmates. But she says not all county jails can afford to do the same.

“Counties are really strapped for the amount of money that’s given to jails, and especially some of the rural counties, they’re barely able to hire correctional officers, much less put in programs – They just don’t have those resources.”

The study also found recidivism was lowest among felons released after serving their full sentence, compared to probation or parole.

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