Honors Theses
Date of Award
Spring 5-9-2024
Document Type
Undergraduate Thesis
Department
Political Science
First Advisor
Marvin King
Second Advisor
Jonathan Klinger
Third Advisor
Abigail Novak
Relational Format
Dissertation/Thesis
Abstract
Because the United States is home to the largest prison population in the world, finding solutions to reduce the rate at which prisoners return to prison is paramount to helping reduce crime. Assessments of how Mississippi, the state with the highest incarceration rate, engages with access to prison education, barriers to employment, and youth incarceration compared to the national, Southern, and non-southern averages will be explored to direct recidivism reduction solutions. Results showed that Mississippi had a slightly higher recidivism rate than the national average, had fewer barriers to employment, and a lower youth incarceration rate than the national average but offered fewer higher education programs per prisoner than the national average. These findings highlight the discrepancies in data collection and calculation methods utilized amongst states, revealing the need for a standard definition and more extensive follow-up period for recidivism calculations so useful analysis can occur to produce valuable solutions.
Recommended Citation
Brian, Grace E., "Recidivism in Mississippi: Causes, Impacts, and Solutions" (2024). Honors Theses. 3092.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/hon_thesis/3092
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