A Relationship Between Education and Recidivism with Individuals Under Federal Supervision in the Western District of North Carolina

Abstract

The police, courts, and corrections generate the criminal justice system. Each department strives to achieve the same outcome: reducing recidivism rates. Unfortunately, the incarceration rate continues to increase, and U.S. prisons are overcrowded, making recidivism a critical issue. Previous research indicates that individuals who attain higher education while incarcerated are less likely to recidivate and more likely to secure employment than those who lack education. This study is designed to examine the relationship between education and reducing recidivism rates in the Western District of North Carolina. Specifically, this study is aimed to determine if former inmates who earned a higher education are less likely to recidivate after being released from the prison system. The methodology of this study is a quantitative, exploratory approach using archived data. The data was collected from an accessible governmental database of individuals on supervised release in the Western District of North Carolina. Specifically, the data was collected from two specific government resources: Post-Conviction Risk Assessment (PCRA) and the Probation and Pretrial Services Automated Case Tracking System (PACTS). The data collected consisted of two parts: the education level of former federal inmates currently on supervised release in the Western District of North Carolina and if new arrests, violations, or revocation have been reported throughout their supervised release