Reduce Recidivism

SA2020 is working with partner organizations to determine the best measure for tracking progress on this indicator and the availability of reliable data.

Recidivism rates measure the success of policies that aim to remove barriers for people formerly incarcerated to access basic needs, such as employment and housing, and lead a successful life.

Reporting from the Policy Institute shows that since 2010, formerly incarcerated people face rates of unemployment at 62% – 65%, compared to the highest national unemployment rate of the last decade, which was 15% in 2020.

This has disproportionate affects on people of color—and particularly Black people―who face discrimination in every step of the justice system and are incarcerated at higher rates than white people. For decades, the number of women held in jails has also outpaced the number of men. Reporting from the Vera Institute of Justice, shows that Bexar County aligns with these national findings.

SA2020 previously reported on recidivism data from 2010-2017. The data was not disaggregated by re-arrest or re-conviction. Given the significant difference between a re-arrest and a re-conviction, the data did not tell a complete story about recidivism.