This report summarises patterns of reconviction amongst almost 5000 offenders who were released from prison over a twelve-month period in 2002/03. It reveals important differences in the post-release re-offending behaviour of different sub-groups of offenders. Offender characteristics such as age (at time of release), gender, ethnicity, offence type, length of the prison sentence, and risk level, are each examined with reference to reconviction.
The outcome data presented here are based on the "recidivism index" (RI) methodology used in the Department of Corrections' (the Department's) annual reporting of reconviction. The method quantifies the rate of reconviction of a specified group of offenders over defined follow-up periods after release from a custodial sentence, or from the start date of a new community sentence. The current analysis gives reconviction rates over 36 months for those released from prison during the 2002/03 (1 April - 31 March) year. Reconviction information was obtained from the Ministry of Justice's Case Management System (CMS) database. The conviction dataset included any reconviction for an offence that occurred within 36 months of each individual offender's release date (upto 31 March 2006).