Repeat Offenders in Texas: What the Numbers Reveal

Let me waive a fancy legal term in front of your face: recidivism. For those curious, this refers to the act of repeatedly committing crimes, getting convicted, and being sentenced to prison.

Many districts refer to recidivism rates to measure how effective their judicial systems are at preventing crimes and repeat offenders.

Recidivism Rate in Texas vs. the U.S.

According to the Texas-based Neal Davis Law Group, findings from a 9-year study revealed that 68% of people who served time in prison returned within three years. This number jumped to 83% within nine years.

Also, criminals who reoffend typically wait at least one year before their second arrest, given current stats.

When it comes to Texas, the most recent calculated recidivism rate within 3 years was 20.3%. Although this is considerably lower than the state average of 68%, it's important to note that most of all observed reoffenders in Texas involve state jail felonies.

What are State Jail Felonies?

These are smaller crimes like certain drug offenses and property theft, and non-violent offenses.

These are most likely some common crimes that affect recidivism rates among criminals.

What crime has the highest recidivism rate?

In Texas and the U.S., the types of crime that are most common among reoffenders are property crimes. This includes theft of personal property or even motor vehicles, shoplifting, and vandalism.

Overall in the country, over half of all people who served time in prison for property crime were arrested once again within the first year of their release, Neal Davis Law states.