Recidivism of convicted offenders A nationwide longitudinal analysis based on data from the german federal register of criminal records

• Applicants: Professor Dr. Hans-Jörg Albrecht; Professor Dr. Jörg-Martin Jehle; Professor Dr. Matthias Schumann
• Subject Area: Criminology
• Term: from 2016 to 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 321544853

National reconviction studies are an important means for analyzing the preventive effectivity of penal sanctions. They generate benefits for scientific research studying the conditions of recidivism as well. In terms of resources and data protection scientific studies of special offender and offence groups could refer to base rates from this comprehensive data pool. The nationwide approach collects data for one million of cases and offers the advantage of providing a sufficient statistical base even for rare offender groups (such as sexual offenders and persons sentenced to a lifelong imprisonment). Based on data from the federal register of criminal records reconviction related information for all criminal sanctions in Germany are collected and analyzed in terms of offence, sanction, previous convictions, age, gender and nationality. Built upon recent nationwide reconviction studies two waves of data collection are planned; they should provide information on the reconvictions of offenders who were sentenced or released in 2013 and 2016 within a three or six years period. In connection with former data collections the criminal history of offenders who were sentenced or released in 2004, 2007 and 2010 can be observed for a 6, 9, 12 or 15 years period. Especially this dimension will enable new scientific knowledge about the long-term development of criminal careers in terms of criminal justice responses. Because of the specific design of the study long periods can be observed without losses through deletions in the federal register.The project applied for therefore aims at:(a) present base rates for the reference years 2013 and 2016 and(b) new scientific knowledge about criminal careers taking into account 12 or 15 years of observation and(c) creating an individual access to these data for the wider scientific community.This project is together applied for by Prof. Dr. Hans-Jörg Albrecht (MPI für ausländisches und internationales Strafrecht), Prof. Dr. Jörg-Martin Jehle (Juristische Fakultät, Universität Göttingen) and Prof. Dr. Matthias Schumann (Wirtschaftswissenschaftliche Fakultät, Universität Göttingen).

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Cooperation Partners: Professor Dr. Stefan Harrendorf; Professorin Dr. Katrin Höffler