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notes from the field

Addressing Criminogenic Characteristics

of Repeat Offenders

The following is a qualitative not afford the fees of private tible to some illegal pursuits to
review of the criminogenic counsel. make money.
characteristics of 7,000 male Private attorneys can pick
inmates based upon personal and choose their clients and set Recommendation. To address
interviews with those incar- their own fees as compared to the low educational level of
cerated in the New Jersey the public defender, a govern- many inmates, the following
Adult Correctional system. ment employee. The private sources for volunteering to
Male inmates represent the attorney may have additional tutor may be considered:
vast majority of incarcer- investigative and administra-
ated personnel. Therefore, tive employees to assist in • retired teachers;
the following characteristics providing a comprehensive • college students as an intern-
are typical of that population. defense. It should be noted that ship for credit;
Recommendations for address- the majority of defendants have • senior citizens seeking vol-
ing some of the characteristics taken a plea bargain in lieu of unteer work; and
are included. trial by jury. Much of this is due • retired social workers.
to court backlogs and attorney
Characteristics and recommendations. Fragmented Family Structure.
Recommendations A vast number of repeat offend-
Low Educational Level. ers, unfortunately, have not
Minority Representation. More Approximately 80% of the been reared by what we refer to
than 50% of the incarcerated incarcerated population never as an “intact” traditional family
population in New Jersey is graduated high school or structure—a mother and father.
comprised of Black Americans. received their GED (graduate Having both parents, in most
This is noteworthy inasmuch education degree). They may cases, can provide meaningful
as they represent about 14% have dropped out of school guidance and supervision.
of the total population. There for a variety of reasons. Their
are a number of reasons this peer group may have been a In a significant number of
occurs. To be in prison, they major influence on their deci- cases, the biological parents
must have committed a serious sion, especially if many of their were not married and had
offense and/or had a lengthy peers had dropped out or were no significant presence in the
prior criminal history. Other expelled. upbringing of the child. The
factors may be profiling and opportunity for this offspring
discrimination. A lack of positive-parenting to make a meaningful adjust-
When going to court, was skills may have also affected ment would be marginalized. If
their decision. A learning
they had the benefit of a posi-
the individual represented disability can lead to a stu- tive influence by a grandparent
by private counsel or the dent feeling inadequate and, or other loving, caring relative,
public defender? The major- therefore, dropping out. The their chances of a crime-free
ity of incarcerated tend to monetary incentive of making existence is increased.
be represented by a public a significant amount of money
defender, who usually has a from some other illegal means In a significant number
large caseload because many (i.e. drugs, robbery, etc.) can of cases, offenders had sev-
of the offenders are from the also be an incentive to with- eral children. (In one case, an
lower economic strata and can- draw from school. Most drop- inmate had 15 children with
7 different women and was
outs from formal education do not married to any of them.)
not possess marketable skills, These children often don’t see
therefore they may be suscep- the possibility of a meaning-

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