Inmate recidivism rates
Re “Fewer State Ex-Inmates Returning to Prison,” April 11
The slight drop in the one- and two-year recidivism rates announced by California prison officials is encouraging; however, prison officials miss the mark when they only focus on those rates. The measuring stick is usually three years because under California law most prisoners are subject to parole for that period. About two-thirds of prisoners end up back in custody within three years, a rate much higher than the rest of the nation. Our prisons can and must do much more to slow the revolving door of incarceration.
STEVEN FAMA
San Francisco
Fama is a lawyer at the Prison Law Office, which represents California prisoners in lawsuits regarding conditions of confinement.
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