Recidivism,Risk, and Resiliency Among North American Indian Parolees and Former Prisoners

Abstract

Using official data, this paper examines recidivism, defined as rearrest over a 3-year follow up period, among a North American Indian First Nation-the Lumbee of North Carolina. Recidivism of the Lumbee, who reside in a tri-county non-reservation area, is compared with that of non-natives residing in the same counties. The working hypothesis was that being a member of the Lumbee First Nation and residing in a “Lumbee county” provides resiliency against the risk of recidivism. The hypothesis was confirmed with respect to violent and drug-related arrests, but not for property and other miscellaneous types of offenses.