Alabama’s Joint Re-Entry Task Force recently moved closer to formally defining recidivism, a key step toward measuring the success of programs designed to help individuals returning to communities like Dothan and across the Wiregrass region. The group proposing the definition informed the task force on Tuesday that it would maintain the same recommendation it put forward in June.
The proposed definition states that recidivism occurs when an individual returns to the custody of the Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) “for commission of a new crime” within three years of being released from an earlier conviction. This specific timeframe and criteria are crucial for state officials to accurately assess the impact of intervention efforts.
According to Cam Ward, director of the Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Paroles (ABPP) and chair of the Reentry Task Force, this definition aligns Alabama with national standards. "Every state uses that same definition," Ward stated in an interview following the meeting. He added that the Bureau of Justice, a branch of the Department of Justice, has consistently used this definition. Adopting a different standard would make it impossible to compare Alabama’s outcomes with those of other states, creating an "apples and oranges" scenario, Ward explained.
The primary goal behind adopting a formal definition is to accurately gauge the success of various intervention programs implemented across Alabama. These programs, which include initiatives focused on job training, mental health, and substance abuse, directly affect residents and families in Dothan, Houston County, and the Wiregrass. Ward noted that Alabama currently boasts a recidivism rate of 27%, an improvement from 34% in recent years. This places the state 15th nationally for this metric, according to data from The Council of State Governments Justice Center.
Ward attributes this positive trend to the "investment in more resources on job training, mental health and substance abuse." He emphasized that a standardized definition would also enable state officials to compare Alabama's performance against other states and identify effective re-entry programs that could be replicated or adapted for use in Dothan and other Alabama communities. "There is nothing wrong with copying best practices from other states," Ward said.
Reducing Alabama’s recidivism rate by half has been a central objective for the ABPP under Ward’s leadership. The bureau has partnered with the Council of State Governments Justice Center on an initiative called Reentry 2030, which aims to significantly improve outcomes for individuals released from ADOC custody, ultimately enhancing public safety and community well-being statewide.
While the subcommittee seeking to define recidivism received feedback, some concerns were raised by task force members. Specifically, questions arose regarding how to precisely define "a new crime" within the context of the proposed definition. In June, Ward suggested that a Class A misdemeanor could serve as the threshold for what constitutes a new crime. However, Bennet Wright, executive director of the Alabama Sentencing Commission, highlighted potential difficulties in tracking misdemeanor offenses due to existing system gaps. Wright noted that there is "no statewide repository of municipal data information," which could complicate efforts to consistently determine whether a new misdemeanor had been committed across various jurisdictions, including those within the Wiregrass.
Despite these data tracking challenges, Wright confirmed that the subcommittee ultimately recommended the same definition of recidivism, primarily because it is already used by the ADOC. The task force is expected to vote on the proposed language at its next quarterly meeting. The specific date for this meeting has not yet been announced.
