Sentencing and Recidivism: an Analysis by Personality Tyoe

Summary This article describes some personality and other characteristicsof a sample of 230 male offenders in London, and relates thesevariables to recommendations made by probation officers, sentencespassed by the courts, and the outcome of penal treatment interms of further convictions. The probation officers in thestudy were more likely to recommend probation for introvertedneurotics than any other personality type, and once on probationthis group was the least likely to be reconvicted. Offenderswho were extravert attracted the largest proportion of recommendationsfor custodial sentences, and on probation the extraverts whoscored low on neuroticism were most likely to be reconvicted.A tentative explanation of the findings is offered in termsof a probation 'treatment success hierarchy'