A descriptive study of one hundred felony recidivists in the Texas Department of Corrections

Purpose: The primary purpose of this study was to provide a comprehensive statistical description of recidivists who are presently serving sentences at the Texas Department of Corrections. The principal areas of concern include isolating data relative to: Demographic factors; behavior before, during, and after incarceration; individual psychological characteristics including attitudes; and sociological factors which characterize the TDC recidivist inmates. Additional objectives of this study include establishing a broad base of factual information to be used in future experimental studies, which hopefully will provide a stimulus for other investigators concerned with the problem of recidivism.