Report: Virginia has lowest inmate recidivism rate again

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Virginia officials have announced that the state's re-incarceration rate is the lowest in the country for the second year in a row.

Gov. Terry McAuliffe said Friday that among 45 states that produce three-year recidivism rates for felons, Virginia has the lowest rate, at 22.4 percent. He credited initiatives to rehabilitate inmates and help them develop skills they need for when they return to their communities.

Of the 11,576 offenders released from prison in Virginia in Fiscal Year 2013 who had an opportunity to re-offend, 2,588 were re-incarcerated within three years.

The numbers were compiled by the Virginia Department of Corrections in a report that also includes recidivism rates produced and made publicly available by other states.

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