A Meta-Analytic Review of Ethnicity, Race, Gender, and Age As Moderators of Violent Recidivism: A Focus On Correctional Interventions

In the criminological literature, a well-established association exists between static risk factors, including ethnicity, race, gender, and age, with crime and delinquency. What is less known is the role in which these demographic factors play in the commission of new crimes post-incarceration and/or under correctional supervision. The key questions to be asked in this meta-analytic review are: 1) how do ethnicity, gender, and age affect violent recidivism; 2) how do correctional interventions affect violent recidivism; and 3) does the effect of correctional programs differ by ethnicity, race, gender, and age?  Methods. We used several mechanisms to locate studies that were relevant for inclusion in this analysis.  Following an initial identification of nearly 5,000 hits, we evaluated each study by the title and abstract to remove studies inconsistent with the eligibility criteria.  This screening reduced the number of studies to 50.  After applying eligibility and codability criteria, 37 studies were coded for analysis.  These 37 studies provided 18 effect sizes evaluating the effect of race on violent recidivism, 5 for ethnicity 31 effects for age, 17 for gender, 14 for interventions, and 7 for antisocial attitudes.  Of the 14 studies that evaluated the effects of interventions on violent recidivism, the most common intervention was a policy intervention (e.g., SORNA, Offender Accountability Act), followed by specific correctional interventions (e.g., parole, probation, case management, drug court, mental health court).  Results.  Age, gender, race (White), and correctional interventions were significantly related to violent recidivism. The effect size for the influence of age on violent recidivism was -0.026 (p=0.029), indicating that lower age was associated with increased rate of violent recidivism.  Similarly, gender was positively associated with violent recidivism, indicating that males were more likely than females to recidivate (Correlation = 0.496; p=0.039).  Whites were less likely to recidivate violently than “non-Whites” (Correlation = -0.064; p<0.001).  Correctional interventions (regardless of the specific type) were associated with reduced violent recidivism (Correlation = -0.038; p=0.022).  Hispanic ethnicity (Correlation = -0.243; p=0.277), Black race (Correlation = 0.052; p=0.243), and antisocial attitudes (Correlation = 0.104; p=0.235) were not associated with violent recidivism.  Overall, demographic risk factors as well as correctional interventions (regardless of type) were related to violent recidivism, and this intervention effect did not differ by demographic group.  Therefore, any correctional programming appears to be a means for reducing violent crime population wide.