Immigration in an Era of Mass Reentry: Does Immigrant Concentration Guard Against Serious Recidivism?. (March 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ramos, Javier
• Other Names: Vélez María B. guest-editor.; Brunson Rod K. guest-editor.
• Is Part Of: Journal of research in crime and delinquency. Volume 60:Number 2(2023)
• Page Start: 213
• Page End: 254
• Publication Date: 2023-03
• Subjects: immigration -- recidivism -- prisoner reentry -- multilevel modeling; Crime -- Research -- Periodicals; 364
• DOI: 10.1177/00224278221120673
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0022-4278

Abstract

Objectives: Determine whether the protective role of immigrant concentration extends to individuals with prior criminal histories such as ex-prisoners. Methods: The present study used hierarchical logistic regression to examine the association between concentrated immigration and serious recidivism among a cohort of 182, 509 ex-inmates nested within 957 zip codes in Florida. The study also considered whether this relationship is applicable to inmates from all racial and ethnic backgrounds. Results: Results indicate that ex-prisoners have a 21 percent lower likelihood of recidivism when they return to communities with substantial numbers of foreign-born residents. This effect, however, is stronger for some populations than others. Conclusions: Immigration serves as a protective feature for even high-risk populations. While this relationship does differ across race and ethnicity, no group experienced a crime-enhancing effect when returning to a community categorized by high immigration. The findings contribute to the burgeoning literature on immigration and crime by demonstrating that immigrant communities provide ex-prisoners with a pro-social context that diminishes their risk for serious recidivism.