Dropout from Treatment and Desistance from Crime among Released Prisoners in Jerusalem Halfway House for Prisoners with Substance Misuse Disorder.

The study aims to investigate the rates of recidivism among prisoners on parole with a substance misuse disorder who participated in the Jerusalem halfway-house, which combines supervision, employment, and a comprehensive therapeutic program. The study population included all participants who have been treated in the halfway-house (N = 125), whereas the comparison group included all prisoners with a substance misuse disorder who were released after serving their full sentences (N = 321). To reduce possible selection biases, the Propensity Score Matching method was used. Findings show that prisoners, who were treated at the Jerusalem halfway-house, are characterized by higher and frequent rates of recidivism. However, when only completers of the halfway-house were evaluated, it was found that they had lower and slower rates of recidivism. Findings suggest that completing treatment contributes to desistance from crime in the critical post-release years among participants and indicates the importance of optimal diagnostic processes before admitting prisoners to a halfway-house.

Recidivism Among Licensed-Released Prisoners Who Participated in the EM Program in Israel.

Toward the end of 2006, a pilot program was launched in Israel wherein licensed-released prisoners were put under electronic monitoring (EM). In addition to EM, the pilot program, operated by the Prisoners' Rehabilitation Authority, provides programs of occupational supervision and personal therapy and is designed to allow for early release of those prisoners who, without increased supervision, would have been found unsuitable for early release. The aim of this study was to ascertain whether participation in the EM program among licensed-released prisoners in Israel might bring about lessened recidivism. For that matter, rates of arrests and incarceration were examined during a follow-up period of up to 4 years, among the entirety of licensed-released prisoners participating in the EM program between the years 2007 and 2009 (n = 155). To compare recidivism rates, a control group was assembled from among the entirety of released prisoners who were found unsuitable for early release in judicial conditions, and had therefore served the full term of their incarceration, to be released between the years 2005 and 2006 (a period of time during which an EM program was not yet operated among licensed-released prisoners in Israel). Study findings clearly show that while among the control group, 42% of released prisoners were re-incarcerated, at the end of a 4-year follow-up period, only 15% among the study group had returned to prison. These findings can be explained by combining the Social Control theory and the Self-Control theory which consider the period of time under EM program and the occupational and familial integration tools for reducing criminal connections and enhancing pro-social behavior.

Sociolegal characteristics and parole infractions among Israeli released prisoners during electronic monitoring.

The objective of this study is to examine the part played by sociolegal characteristics such as ethnic background, family status, or criminal past in the rate of infractions among ex-prisoners in Electronic Monitoring (EM) Programs. In addition, it focuses on the nature of the formal decisions made by community supervision agents regarding such infractions and their correlation with the sociolegal characteristics of the participants. The research population included all prisoners on license (i.e., prisoners who have been granted conditional early release) who took part in the EM project from mid-2007 until mid-2009 (24 months), altogether 155 participants. The data show no significant correlation between the number of infractions and the participant's sociolegal background. In spite of the fact that the EM coordinators have extensive discretionary power, which is likely to lead to discrimination attributable to variables such as ethnicity, this research shows that the most efficacious variable for explaining formal responses is an objective one-the number of infractions.