| Abstract: | This paper presents a method of fitting factorial models to recidivism data consisting of the (possibly censored) time to ‘fail’ of individuals, in order to test for differences between groups. Here ‘failure’ means rearrest, reconviction or reincarceration, etc. A proportion P of the sample is assumed to be ‘susceptible’ to failure, i.e. to fail eventually, while the remaining 1-P are ‘immune’, and never fail. Thus failure may be described in two ways: by the probability P that an individual ever fails again (‘probability of recidivism’), and by the rate of failure Λ for the susceptibles. Related analyses have been proposed previously: this paper argues that a factorial approach, as opposed to regression approaches advocated previously, offers simplified analysis and interpretation of these kinds of data. The methods proposed, which are also applicable in medical statistics and reliability analyses, are demonstrated on data sets in which the factors are Parole Type (released to freedom or on parole), Age group (≤ 20 years, 20–40 years, > 40 years), and Marital Status. The outcome (failure) is a return to prison following first or second release. |
