Recidivism in a criminal justice context is defined as the reversion of an individual to criminal behavior after he or she has been convicted of a prior offense, sentenced and presumably rehabilitated.
It results from a combination of any one or some or all of the following failures:
1)Failure of the individual as an inmate of a correctional institution to take advantage of the rehabilitative programs offered by the institution.
2)Failure of the individual to stay out of trouble after his release from the correctional institution.
3)Failure of the individual to avoid re-arrest and RECONVICTION
4)Failure of the individual in continuing in a criminal career after release.
5)Failure of society to provide rehabilitative and support programs and employment for individuals after their release from a correctional institution.
An individual, who has been arrested for an offence and consequently remanded, is considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law under the Belize constitution.
These individuals are therefore not included in the calculation of recidivism rates.
Only individuals who are found guilty of an offence and are committed to the Belize Central Prison are included in the calculation of recidivism rates.
Individuals who are found guilty of an offence and are given a fine to pay by the courts, and are not committed to the Belize Central Prison, cannot therefore be included in the calculation of recidivism rates.
The numbers presented below represent the recidivism percentages for the years 2005 to 2008.
Please note that these numbers are true, actual and correct as per records kept by the Records and Processing Section of the Kolbe Foundation.
Total number of convicted inmates admitted to the prison as of January 2nd 2005 to December 31st 2008. 4008. (This number reflects a count of one (1) for each inmate even if the inmate came to prison two or more times.) Of this total, 526 inmates were admitted to the prison more than once. This recidivism rate shows a percentage based on an INDIVIDUAL BASIS i.e. a repeat offender is counted only once.
526 / 4008 x 100 = 13.12%
Number of Persons Convicted by Nationality: 2003 - 2009
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
Total
1,167
1,331
1,345
1,338
1,086
1114
1,114
Belizean
680
943
976
1,059
858
976
1050
Guatemalan
94
82
104
90
73
38
29
Salvadoran
108
93
67
43
58
13
10
Honduran
217
147
135
110
53
43
13
Mexican
8
6
5
10
13
4
3
American
3
9
14
15
11
18
3
Other
57
51
44
11
20
22
6
Source: Department of Corrections
Prisoners Charged but not Convicted by Age Group: 2003 - 2009
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
Total
1,101
1,382
1,748
1,529
1,366
1550
1,667
Under 16
33
55
62
37
25
54
45
16 - 20
251
270
388
442
355
408
492
21 - 25
271
321
420
339
352
389
407
26 - 30
202
254
318
277
225
239
262
31 - 35
109
142
192
222
136
166
165
36 - 40
103
133
119
121
116
170
101
41 - 45
70
205
249
91
66
124
85
46-50
0
0
0
0
0
0
60
51-55
0
0
0
0
0
0
30
56-60
0
0
0
0
0
0
11
61-65
0
0
0
0
0
0
3
66-70
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
71-75
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
Unknown
62
2
0
0
91
0
2
Source: Department of Corrections
Number of Convicted Prisoners by Age Group: 2003 - 2009
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
Total
1,167
1,331
1,345
1,338
1,086
1114
1,114
Under 16
23
22
11
52
25
55
3
16 - 20
201
137
178
210
152
210
160
21 - 25
244
309
296
280
222
208
230
26 - 30
182
227
256
225
185
215
198
31 - 35
184
190
196
156
161
142
168
36 - 40
159
154
133
140
101
123
136
41 - 45
163
289
275
275
240
161
86
46-50
0
0
0
0
0
0
65
51-55
0
0
0
0
0
0
36
56-60
0
0
0
0
0
0
15
61-65
0
0
0
0
0
0
8
66-70
0
0
0
0
0
0
8
71-75
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
Unknown
11
3
0
0
0
0
0
Source: Department of Corrections
Persons Convicted and Imprisoned by Offence:2008
OFFENCES
NUMBER OF INMATES
PERCENTAGE
1
ASSAULT, AGGRAVATED ASSAULT
57
5.12%
2
BURGLARY, AGGRAVATED BURGLARY
228
20.47%
3
CARNAL KNOWLEDGE, RAPE, INCEST
39
3.50%
4
DAMAGE TO PROPERTY
45
4.04%
5
DEBTORS
0
0.00%
6
DRUG, POSSESSION OF CONTROLLED
72
6.46%
7
DRUG, POSSESSION OF PIPE
34
3.05%
8
DRUG, TRAFFICKING
64
5.75%
9
FIREARM, KEPT UNLICENSED AMMUNITION
37
3.32%
10
FIREARM, KEPT UNLICENSED FIREARM
54
4.85%
11
HANDLING STOLEN GOODS
58
5.21%
12
HARM (DEADLY, GREVIOUS, DANGEROUS)
54
4.85%
13
ILLEGALS ENTRIES
32
2.87%
14
MAINTENANCE
10
0.90%
15
MANSLAUGHTER
50
4.49%
16
MURDER
34
3.05%
17
MURDER, ATTEMPTED
5
0.45%
18
ROBBERY, AGGRAVATED ROBBERY
106
9.52%
19
THEFT
106
9.52%
20
WOUNDING
29
2.60%
1114
100.02%
Persons Convicted and Imprisoned by Offence:2009
OFFENCES
NUMBER OF INMATES
PERCENTAGE
1
ASSAULT, AGGRAVATED ASSAULT
41
3.68%
2
BURGLARY, AGGRAVATED BURGLARY
57
5.12%
3
CARNAL KNOWLEDGE, RAPE, INCEST
12
1.08%
4
DAMAGE TO PROPERTY
17
1.53%
5
DEBTORS
60
5.38%
6
DRUG, POSSESSION OF CONTROLLED
190
17.06%
7
DRUG, POSSESSION OF PIPE
40
3.59%
8
DRUG, TRAFFICKING
48
4.31%
9
FIREARM, KEPT UNLICENSED AMMUNITION
33
2.96%
10
FIREARM, KEPT UNLICENSED FIREARM
37
3.32%
11
HANDLING STOLEN GOODS
48
4.31%
12
HARM (DEADLY, GREVIOUS, DANGEROUS)
24
2.15%
13
ILLEGAL ENTRIES
132
11.85%
14
MAINTENANCE
134
12.03%
15
MANSLAUGHTER
8
0.72%
16
MURDER
5
0.45%
17
MURDER, ATTEMPTED
3
0.27%
18
ROBBERY, AGGRAVATED ROBBERY
26
2.33%
19
THEFT
89
7.99%
20
WOUNDING
35
3.14%
21
OTHERS
75
6.73%
1114
100.00%
Number of Convicted Prisoners by Length of Imprisonment (Years): 2001 - 2009
2001
2002
2003
2006
2007
2008
2009
Total
988
897
1,167
1,338
1,086
1114
1114
< 1
85
24
25
87
587
454
552
1-3
185
114
209
107
253
232
274
3-6
230
178
547
544
75
245
45
6-12
178
313
127
186
22
102
27
12-18
148
88
52
188
15
36
3
18+
149
171
187
198
7
19
11
Death Sentence
4
0
1
0
1
1
2
Life Imprisonment
1
3
2
6
10
4
5
Deportation
8
6
17
22
116
17
190
Supreme Court & The Governor General's Pleasure
4
5
The name Kolbe, is from St. Maximilian Kolbe who is the Patron Saint for Prisoners. He was an actual person who gave his life... Read More >>
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