Risk Factors for Recidivism in Individuals Receiving Community Sentences: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Noncustodial sentences are the commonest type of court sanction in many countries. Offender management and rehabilitation programmes aim to prevent recidivism and the further criminalization of individuals receiving community sentences. Although the ultimate goal of these programmes is to ensure public safety and to ease the economic burden on justice systems, they assume different rates of repeat criminal behaviours and employ different approaches. The criminogenic needs of individuals (the characteristics of an individual that directly relate to the likelihood of recidivism) are typically broken down into static (nonmodifiable) and dynamic (modifiable) risk factors. Static risk factors are unchanging characteristics of an individual and include gender, age, and prior criminal history.