Problems of accounting for post-penitentiary recidivism

The article deals with one of the problems of modern criminology: the lack of a mechanism for accounting for post-penitentiary recidivism. The paper gives the concepts of post-penitentiary recidivism and post-penitentiary criminality. Analyzing official statistical data, the author concludes that they are insufficient for calculating the scale of post-penitentiary crime and analyzing its characteristics. Modern accounting systems are compared with the Soviet system of special accounting of post-penitentiary recidivism, built on a dynamic model. This provided much more information for calculating real indicators of post-penitentiary recidivism. In Russia, statistics mixes several subtypes of criminological recidivism: penological, post-penological, penitentiary and post-penitentiary recidivism. As a result, there are fewer opportunities to study the causes and factors that provoke each of these types of recidivism. Opportunities to develop an effective system of recidivism prevention are diminished. In addition, the terminology used by different accounting entities differs. Therefore, there is no possibility to study the real scale of both criminal (legal) and subtypes of criminological recidivism (including post-penitentiary). The article offers approximate calculations of the level of post-penitentiary recidivism on the basis of available statistical data. In conclusion, the author’s proposals for improving the systems of recording recidivism are formulated.