Do They Pose a Danger: Evaluation of the Recidivism Characteristics in China’s Community Corrections?

Abstract

The modern criminal justice system includes community corrections, which play a preventive role in lowering recidivism among offenders. However, some offenders continue to commit crimes during community corrections. This research focuses on community corrections in Chinese community policing practice, particularly offender recidivism. The study collected a total of 500 questionnaires from offenders in the provincial administrative regions of northern China, which included first offense status, psychological status, and recidivism behavior. The study found that most recidivists are usually arrested for “drunk driving”, which may be related to their ability to exercise self-restraint, and that alcohol may contribute to their deviant behavior. Another important finding relates to young recidivists, who may have difficulty securing employment during community corrections and thus use crime again to gain income. In general, this study explores the offender population in Chinese community corrections practice and discusses the factors within it that influence offender recidivism. This may support law enforcement agencies in further evaluating the effectiveness of community corrections, and may provide new information for understanding community corrections in China.