Recidive

Recidive is a term used in two related but distinct contexts. In criminology, it denotes the tendency of a convicted offender to reoffend after release. In medicine, recidive refers to the recurrence of a disease after a period of improvement or remission, such as a relapse of cancer or other chronic conditions. In English, the preferred terms are recidivism for the criminal tendency and relapse or recurrence for medical contexts, while some languages retain the form “récidive” or “recidive.”

In criminology, recidivism is typically quantified by the share of released offenders who are arrested, convicted, or returned to custody for another offense within a defined period after release. Common measurement windows are two, three, or five years. Metrics can be arrest-based, conviction-based, or reimprisonment-based, and some include technical violations of supervision. Comparisons across jurisdictions require careful normalization because legal definitions, policing practices, and data collection vary.

Factors influencing recidivism include prior criminal history, age at release, substance use disorders, unemployment, housing stability, and social supports. Interventions aimed at reducing recidivism often involve substance abuse treatment, education and vocational training, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and structured supervision. The effectiveness of programs varies, and high recidivism rates do not automatically indicate policy failure; they can reflect broader enforcement contexts and reporting practices.

In policy discourse, recidivism serves as a proxy for rehabilitation success and public safety risk. Critics argue that it can obscure longer-term desistance trajectories and that punitive systems may perpetuate cycles of offending. International comparisons reveal substantial variation in recidivism rates, shaped by differences in criminal justice systems, sentencing, and social support structures.