January 2022 / Parole / Probation
Providing Another Chance: Resetting Recidivism Risk in Criminal Background Checks
by RAND Corporation
A report modeling the "reset principle," where the assessment of recidivism likelihood resets to the time of the criminal background check rather than the time of conviction. If models based on the reset principle are developed into tools that employers and others can use to assess recidivism likelihood, they may offer a more accurate way to distinguish candidates' likelihood of violating the law again. Describes considerations for building recidivism prediction models that follow the reset principle and implications for policymakers and researchers.