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Note: This report is available in its entirety in the Portable Document Format (PDF).
Executive Summary
This report describes prisoner reentry in Massachusetts by examining the trends in
incarceration and prisoner releases in the state, the characteristics of the state's returning adult and juvenile inmates, the geographic distribution of returning inmates, and the social and
economic climates of the communities that are home to the highest concentrations of returning inmates. This document consolidates existing data on incarceration and release trends and presents a new analysis of data on Massachusetts inmates released in 2002. The data used for this report were derived from several sources, including the Massachusetts Department of Correction, the Massachusetts Department of Youth Services, the Massachusetts State Parole Board, the Suffolk County House of Correction, and the U.S. Census Bureau. Highlights from the report are presented below.
Massachusetts State Prison Population
Incarceration and Release Trends. Massachusetts' incarceration and reentry trends are similar to those observed at the national level. Between 1980 and 2002, the Massachusetts prison population more than tripled, increasing from 2,754 to 9,150 people. The per capita rate of imprisonment in Massachusetts rose from 56 to 174 per 100,000 residents in the state between 1980 and 1998, an increase of nearly 311 percent. Massachusetts' release patterns reflect these admission and population trends: 2,526 prisoners were released from Massachusetts prisons in 2002, more than double the number released in 1980 (1,015).
Characteristics of Prisoners Released in 2002. The majority of released prisoners were male (72 percent) and white (54 percent). The mean age at release was 34.6 years. Slightly more
than one-third had been serving time for offenses against persons. The average time served was about five years. Almost all had previously spent time in a state prison, county house of correction, or county jail.
Release and Supervision Policies and Practices. The number and share of prisoners released to supervision in Massachusetts has decreased in recent years. In 2002, one-third of all
returning prisoners were released to a period of parole supervision. Of the remainder, more than 35 percent were subject to probation supervision, mostly due to split or "from and after" sentences. At least 10 percent were under both parole and probation supervision upon release to the community.
Geographic Distribution of Released Prisoners. More than one-third of adult prisoners released in 2002 came from two Massachusetts counties—Suffolk and Worcester. The highest number of released prisoners returned to Suffolk County, where the unemployment rate, poverty rate, and proportion of single-parent households are all higher than the state averages. Within Suffolk County, releases are most heavily concentrated in Boston. In 2002, nearly half of prisoners returning to Suffolk County were clustered in a few Boston neighborhoods. High levels of poverty and unemployment characterize most of these neighborhoods.
Department of Youth Services Juvenile Population
Commitment and Discharge Trends. The number of juveniles under Department of Youth Services (DYS) supervision grew through the 1990s, then decreased in recent years. The number of commitments decreased from 1,653 in 1999 to 1,473 in 2003. Over the same period, discharges from DYS supervision decreased slightly from 1,221 to 1,191. There were 2,944 youth under supervision at the start of 2004.
Characteristics of Juveniles Released from Facilities in 2002. Of the 1,842 juveniles
released to the community from DYS facilities in 2002, the majority were male (86 percent) and white (50 percent). The mean age at release was 16 years, and 93 percent were 17 years old or younger. More than 40 percent had been serving time for offenses against persons. The average time served was 1.7 years.
Release and Supervision Policies and Practices. All releases from DYS facilities are discretionary, and nearly all youth remain in DYS custody and under supervision in the community after release.
Geographic Distribution of Released Juveniles. Forty percent of juveniles released in 2002 came from two Massachusetts counties—Suffolk and Worcester. Compared with adult prisoners, released juveniles were more heavily concentrated in a few Boston neighborhoods.
Suffolk County House of Correction Population
Characteristics of Inmates Released in 2002. Of the 2,046 inmates released from the Suffolk County House of Correction (HOC) in 2002, the vast majority (90 percent) were male and more than half (54 percent) were black. The mean age at release was 33.2 years. Slightly more than one quarter had been serving time for offenses against persons. The average time served was 8.3 months. Just under two-thirds had previously spent time in the Suffolk HOC.
Release and Supervision Policies and Practices. In 2002, one quarter of all returning inmates were released to a period of parole supervision. In addition, some portion of released inmates were subject to probation supervision due to split or "from and after" sentences.
Geographic Distribution of Released Inmates. HOC releases made up 68 percent of all offenders returned to Suffolk County in 2002. Returning inmates were heavily concentrated in Boston. Compared with released prisoners or juveniles, however, they were more evenly distributed throughout the county and less concentrated in a small number of Boston neighborhoods.
Note: This report is available in its entirety in the Portable Document Format (PDF).
The nonpartisan Urban Institute publishes studies, reports, and books on timely topics worthy of public consideration. The views expressed are those of the authors and should not be attributed to the Urban Institute, its trustees, or its funders.
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