Seventy percent of prisoners released in 2012 were arrested again within five years, according to data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS). The recidivism rate is over 80% for prisoners with juvenile records.
BJS defines recidivism as a re-offense by those previously in the criminal justice system. The bureau breaks down offenses into three categories: arrest, guilty conviction, and return to prison. BJS started collecting data on recidivism in 2005, tracking prisoner records over a five-year time period. The most recent data available is from 2017. The data includes prisoner records released by 34 states, representing 80% of the state prison population nationwide. The data excludes federal prisons. It also excludes state or county jails, where people are awaiting trial or sentencing, or serving less than one year of incarceration.
