Problem Solution Essay on Recidivism in Colorado

References

“Recidivism.” Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), www.bjs.gov/content/reentry/recidivism.cfm.

This source provides information on the national rates of recidivism. My essay will be on Colorado only. The information provided from this website is relevant because it will allow me to compare and contrast the rates of recidivism in Colorado with that of the nation. I can provide detailed information on the past, present, and future goals of prison systems of the nation and our local state prison. Furthermore, I can also use this website to compare the rates of the federal, state, and private prison systems. This website is part of the Bureau of Justice, therefore, I can guarantee the information is both credible and accurate.

“Recidivism.” National Institute of Justice, www.nij.gov/topics/corrections/recidivism/Pages/welcome.aspx.

This source is a federal government source. Its’ information is both credible and accurate. This website provides a description of what recidivism is and how it is measured. This website breaks down the measurements into 1, 3, and 5 year rates among offenders, and also provides information on which offenders based on previous crimes tend to be rearrested. It also provides a short summary of the of the programs aimed at improving the statistics. To further understand the cognitive behavior behind these repeat offenders, a study was performed by Penn State to include; men, woman, and juveniles. Interviews were conducted on this group of offender and information was provided from their research.

“Recidivism Rates | Prison Reform | CIP.” California Innocence Project, californiainnocenceproject.org/issues-we-face/recidivism-rates/.

The information from this site is based on the state of California. This will allow me to give a more detailed comparison of recidivism among states. California has notoriously had a very high recidivism rate. This information can be analyzed against that of other states. We can see what is being done in each state and try to put together possibilities for improvement. Although this website is completely separate from the Colorado system, I feel it is important to understand the rates of other states because it gives you a better understanding of the statistics in our own state.

“Reduce the Recidivism Rate.” Gov. John Hickenlooper | The Official Site of Governor Hickenlooper, www.colorado.gov/pacific/performancemanagement/reduce-recidivism-rate.

This website may be the most relevant site to my essay. This site is the Official website of the current Governor of Colorado, Hickenlooper. This site provided detailed information of where recidivism is, where it was, and where we hope it to be in the future. Currently, we are at a critical point for change. As Hickenlooper is on his way out of office, we have a chance to compare where we are at now, and observe change as a new governor takes office. Like some of the other sites, it provides past and current statistics, but if gives a more detailed account of our state’s current situation, and the actions being taken as we strive for improvement.

“Society Must Address Recidivism, Officials Say.” USC News, 14 July 2014, news.usc.edu/30029/society-must-address-recidivism-officials-say/.

This site analyzes the effects that recidivism has on our community. It is from a news stand point so it remains as objective as possible while trying to show the effects of the topic on our community. I think it is important to understand how we are effected. Once we understand what recidivism is, we can try to understand its’ impact on us as individuals. Then, we can look at means for improvement.