Psychosocial and criminological factors related to recidivism among Japanese criminals at offender rehabilitation facilities

Abstract

The present study aimed to investigate the relationships between psychosocial and criminological factors and recidivism (the number of re-imprisonment) among male Japanese offenders. The sample included 96 residents of offender rehabilitation facilities who ranged in age from 26 to 88. The mean age of the participants was 50.49 years old. The participants completed the Japanese Criminal Thinking Inventory, the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire, the sense of coherence (SOC) scale, socioeconomic and criminological questionnaires. Univariate and multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted. Having committed theft or drugrelated crime and one of the SOC subcategories, manageability, significantly and independently related to the tendency of repeat offenses. Providing practical interventions by level of manageability will mitigate recidivism risk and help offenders reenter society.