is likely that ex-offenders might relapse to criminal behaviorand return back to prison due to the difficulty and stress in managing a different yet normal life (Wikoff, Linhorst&Morani, 2012).
This relapse to criminal behavior or reoffending after the offender receives necessary sanction or undergoes intervention for the previous crime is coined as recidivism (Maltz, 2001). Maltz (2001) also contends that recidivism is one of the most fundamental concepts in criminal justice. It results from psychological, social and economic consequences of the offence for the incarcerated individual (Rujjavanet, 2013).
Existing studies on recidivism (New York Council of State Governments Justice Center, 2014; Maltz, 2001; Taylor, 2012) have consistently noted that unsuccessful reintegration and recidivism have been alarming problems confronting these correctional facilities.It has been established that one of the primary issues in the correctional services field is the reintegration of ex-prisoners (Shinkfield&Graffam, 2009). Moreover, promoting successful reintegration is an ongoing concern in efforts to reduce recidivism (Dougherty, 2013; Shinkfield&Graffam, 2009; Maltz, 2001).
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As mentioned previously, state policies and stress play a role in whether an ex-offender’s re-entry into society is successful or otherwise. However, there are different factors that affect each