The project aims and the research context
The aim of the study is (1) to identify the factors that lead to recidivism and (2) to identify the rehabilitation strategies that result in a decrease in recidivism rates. The research will focus on the identification, selection, and synthesis of empirical studies published in the period 1965-2015.
Ever since crime itself became an object of scientific investigation, researchers have studied recidivism. However, new aspects of the problem have recently emerged. Over the last several decades, we have seen a significant rise in the number of empirical studies on the determinants of recidivism, an increase in the availability of study results (e.g., via the Internet), and the further development of new quantitative methods allowing for greater generalizability. Such developments have, in turn, led to a series of meta-analyses aimed at identifying the psychosocial risk factors of recidivism, as well as forms of effective correctional interventions. While such research developments have taken place in various parts of the world, first-and-foremost in North America, there have been relatively few attempts to synthesize first-order research findings from Poland, and none have gone beyond a non-systematic review of the literature. Furthermore, the few European systematic reviews and meta-analyses that have been conducted have not covered Polish sources and were limited to the analysis of English-language reports.
The history of the project
The initial research phase (2016-2021) served to develop a baseline database (6,257 records) covering Polish-language sources collected from both digital bibliographic databases and databases existing only as printed materials. In 2021, the research was funded by the Society of the Future Priority Research Area of the Strategic Program Excellence Initiative at the Jagiellonian University.Potential applications of the research findings
The steady increase of empirically-based research on the risk factors of recidivism has allowed for the development of more efficient correctional strategies. Such research serves as the basis of the Risk- Need-Responsivity (RNR) model, which is representative of the wider trend towards evidence-based rehabilitation. Researchers are working to develop better diagnostic tools that can be of use for designing more efficient intervention strategies. Such research should take the cultural context into consideration. The Future Without Bars will make use of Polish resources that have been unavailable to Western investigators, thereby expanding this important research into a new cultural context.