New U.S. Sentencing Commission Report on Recidivism Among Federal Offenders

The Federal Docket

October 19, 2021

Last month, the U.S. Sentencing Commission released a new report regarding recidivism rates among federal offenders. The report is based on a study of over 32,000 offenders who were U.S. citizens released during 2010 and who had not been reported dead, escaped, or detained.

Among the key findings, the Commission found that the recidivism rate between 2005 and 2010 had not changed significantly, despite the Supreme Court’s opinion in Booker which allowed judges to sentence defendants outside the Advisory Guidelines. The Commission found that age and criminal history category were strongly associated with re-offending, with older offenders and offenders with less criminal history points having significantly lower risks of re-offending.

The report also includes a detailed breakdown in recidivism risk among defendants based on their criminal history, age, type of offense, and other variables.

Click here to read the Commission’s report.

Tom Church - Tom is a trial and appellate lawyer focusing on criminal defense and civil trials. Tom is the author of "The Federal Docket" and is a contributor to Mercer Law Review's Annual Survey in the areas of federal sentencing guidelines and criminal law. Tom graduated with honors from the University of Georgia Law School where he served as a research assistant to the faculty in the areas of constitutional law and civil rights litigation. Read Tom's reviews on AVVO. Follow Tom on Linkedin.

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