Lamb: Bermuda’s recidivism rate is at 34 per cent

Slightly more than a third of the ex-cons on the island re-offend within two years of their release, according to Bermuda’s Commissioner of Corrections.

Lt Col Edward Lamb says the two-year recidivism rate for criminal offenders on the island is 34 per cent, which represents a gradual decline in the number of released inmates who proceed to commit crime once out of prison in Bermuda

Recidivism is often used as a barometer for how well the ex-cons of a community are reforming and blending back into civilian, non-prison life. High recidivism rates often suggest there is a vicious cycle of prison and criminal enterprise and that the post-incarceration programs are failing.

In an e-mail, Lt Col Lamb stated that the rate is “far below the public perception of recidivism in Bermuda. This figure also compares very favourably with other jurisdictions…this shows that our efforts at rehabilitation are bearing fruit.”

Last year, for instance, the US state of California had a three-year recidivism rate that topped 58 per cent. In Europe, Nordic countries like Denmark and Norway typically have recidivism rates that hover between 24 per cent and 31 per cent, according to the Council of Europe. The Bahamas has had a recidivism rate hovering around 20 per cent in recent years. In the Cayman Islands, meanwhile, 70 per cent of ex-cons are back before the courts after their release.

In Bermuda, a significant amount of those who do re-offend, said Lamb, commit drug-related or drug-induced crime.

“This is indicative of the major dilemma we have as a country with the scourge of drugs.”

He did not offer hard numbers to compare recidivism rates of the past, and hedged on a report that asserted recidivism topped 76 per cent as recently as 2008. He said he could not prove or disprove that figure.

“What is a fact is that our recidivism rate is nowhere near what many believe it to be, as I have indicated earlier, and is gradually declining.” 

Overall, Bermuda has 244 inmates, meaning the entire prison system is at 59 per cent of its total capacity.

The prisons, meanwhile, are currently under capacity, according to Lamb. The Westgate Correctional Facility — which is a maximum and medium security prison that houses adult males —  is at 74 per cent capacity. It can handle 228 inmates. Last week it had 168 inmates.

The Prison Farm, which houses adult males in a minimum security setting, meanwhile is at 55 percent capacity. The farm can handle 111 inmates; last week it housed 60.

The Co-Ed Facility, which houses adult females and young offenders, has a capacity of 80 and as of last week had 16 inmates, meaning it was at 20 per cent capacity, according to Lt Col Lamb.