Recidivism among juvenile and adult offenders is quite common in many countries including the United States. It is noteworthy that female offenders’ recidivism is still characterized by the lack of attention from researchers as the major focus is on male offenders’ recidivism (Greiner, Law, & Brown, 2015). However, although female prisoners constitute only 10% of inmates, the number of women in US prisons is increasing (over 113,000 in 2009), and up to half of these females reenter (Barrick, Lattimore, & Visher, 2014).
The research problem of the proposed study is as follows: improper behavior of parole/probation officers may have a considerable impact on female offenders’ recidivism. Some actions and behaviors of parole/probation officers are associated indirectly with reentering women’s recidivism, which makes the cost-effectiveness of these measures doubtful (Morash, Kashy, Smith, & Cobbina, 2016). It is important to study this problem as it can potentially lead to a decrease in recidivism in women. The understanding of the problem will have a positive effect on the development of the US economy as the problem of prison overload will be addressed, the parole/probation programs will be more cost-effective, and former inmates will reintegrate successfully.
The study will focus on the way parole/probation officers’ behaviors affect female offenders’ recidivism as seen by reentering women. The intervention may involve the development of the supervision program that ensures the display of a positive attitude and support. It is possible to make the supervision more effective through the development of measures and procedures involving the offender’s family and/or community.
References
Barrick, K., Lattimore, P., & Visher, C. (2014). Reentering women: The impact of social ties on long-term recidivism. The Prison Journal, 94(3), 279-304.
Greiner, L., Law, M., & Brown, S. (2015). Using dynamic factors to predict recidivism among women. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 42(5), 457-480.
Morash, M., Kashy, D., Smith, S., & Cobbina, J. (2016). The connection of probation/parole officer actions to women offenders’ recidivism. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 43(4), 506-524.