In criminology, measuring recidivism is a well-known method of establishing the preventive effect of penal interventions. There are measurements of this kind dating from as early as the 19th... Show moreIn criminology, measuring recidivism is a well-known method of establishing the preventive effect of penal interventions. There are measurements of this kind dating from as early as the 19th century. Recidivism studies have been conducted in the Netherlands too, but the earliest we know of stem from the 1970s. Due to developments in public sector fund accounting methods, interest in reconviction rates is now again on the increase. The Dutch government is looking for clear indicators to gauge the success of implemented policy measures. In the area of penal law recidivism, or rather the absence thereof, is readily embraced as a valid and efficient outcome indicator. Under what circumstances do recidivism statistics provide proof of the efficacy of policy interventions? And how can this construct best be measured? In the Netherlands there is no tradition of recidivism research. The methods used in past evaluation studies vary widely, the measurements were predominantly small-scale, and most studies were conducted at a time when the penal interventions under investigation were still at a developmental stage. Recidivism research in the Netherlands has lacked a sound methodological basis and there is consequently no comprehensive view on the outcome of penal interventions – until recently, that is, since the WODC has meanwhile developed a ‘Recidivism Monitor’. This is a project in which reconviction rates of virtually all offenders who have come into contact with the Dutch judiciary are routinely computed. The development of this instrument and its applications in evaluation research form the central themes of this dissertation. Show less
