B.C. youth who have spent time in custody have shown less likelihood to re-offend as adults than those who have not been incarcerated, according to a new study led by a Simon Fraser University criminologist.
The findings, published this month in the Journal of Criminal Justice, contrast sharply with large volumes of data showing the opposite is true, in general, for prison systems in the United States.
But researcher Evan McCuish cautions that those who are hungry for harsher penalties for criminals must read past the key conclusion, which needs further examination.
It’s unknown, for example, whether the effect is due to the deterrent effect of the prison experience, or because of the rehabilitation programs offenders received in prison.
“It is also possible that people released from prison are subject to closer supervision and monitoring, which in turn reduces re-offending,” McCuish said.
The research took place in B.C. between 1998 and 2011. McCuish interviewed close to 1,700 youth and followed their lives into adulthood.
The study used data from BC Corrections to look specifically at offenders in the Canadian justice system.
McCuish points to differences between Canada’s correctional system and that of the United States, where he says 80 per cent of studies show prison either has no impact or even plays a role in increased levels of offending upon release.
“Canada is not the United States. Canada does not practise mass incarceration, and we don’t have privatized prison systems, so we do need our own research to begin to investigate these themes,” said McCuish.
The journal notes that similar research outside the U.S. also shows incarceration reduces re-offending.
