Rehabilitation and Recidivism: Evidence from an Open Prison

A critique of the article “Rehabilitation and Recidivism: Evidence from an Open Prison,” by Giovanni Mastrobuoni and Daniele Terlizzese.

Question 1 

The researchers used correlation and bivariate regression to fulfill the objective of the study is primarily because they were studying two variables. The two variables are rehabilitation and recidivism. In this case, the authors are interested in assessing whether rehabilitation can affect recidivism. For this reason, using correlation and bivariate regression would be suitable since the bivariate data collected can assist in predicting the behavior of rehabilitated inmates in comparison to inmates that have not been rehabilitated.

Question 2 

I believe that the choice that the researchers made was the right choice. The fundamental reason for this belief rests on the idea that the statistical interpretation led to definitive conclusions. In different studies, researchers come up with hypotheses that they have to prove or disapprove based on the results of the statistical analyses. For this reason, the researcher might choose to use either linear or bivariate regression, depending on the number of variables considered (Swank & Mullen, 2017). Since the authors were assessing the correlation between two variables, I believe it was the correct choice.

Question 3 

The authors displayed the data they had collected for their study, which can be accessed at the index section. The data display the results derived from the quasi-experiment conducted by the researchers. The data shows the variability in recidivism inmates from Bollate Prison, which concentrates on implementing rehabilitative programs, with the inmates from other prisons that do not do the same.

Question 4 

It was difficult to interpret the data from the tables since the simulations are software generated. However, by assessing the different samples used in the tables, it is possible to identify the different elements that the researchers are focusing on. The difficulty emanates from assessing the figures representing the different samples used.

References

Mastrobuoni, G., & Terlizzese, D. (2014).  Rehabilitation and Recidivism: Evidence from an Open Prison . Working Paper.

Swank, J. M., & Mullen, P. R. (2017). Evaluating Evidence for Conceptually Related Constructs Using Bivariate Correlations.  Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development , 1-5.