There is considerable interest in reoffending by released prisoners. This paper presents information on the prior and post conviction histories of the 22,340 inmates released from prison between 1995 and 1998. More than a third (37%) of inmates were reconvicted of some offence within six months of release, while more than half (58%) were reconvicted within a year. Nearly three–quarters (73%) of inmates were reconvicted within two years of their release. Most inmates (86%) were reconvicted within five years.
Thirteen percent of inmates were reimprisoned within six months of release, while a quarter (25%) were reimprisoned within a year. More than a third (37%) were reimprisoned within two years of their release, and just over half the inmates (51%) were reimprisoned within five years.
Only a very small proportion of all released inmates are reconvicted for very serious offences. The type and seriousness of the offence for which a person is imprisoned are not reliable predictors of that person’s likelihood of committing a serious offence in the future.