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High Recidivism in Delaware for Inmates

DOVER, Del. (AP) - A study has found that nearly eight in 10 Delaware inmates sentenced to more than a year in prison are arrested again for a serious offense within three years of release.

The Wilmington News Journal reports that the study set to be released Wednesday also found that 71 percent of released prisoners are convicted of a serious crime within three years, and 68 percent return to prison for at least one day.

The study required under a 2012 law was conducted by the Delaware Criminal Justice Council as part of an effort to evaluate the justice system's effectiveness.

Delaware hadn't studied how effective the system is in keeping offenders from returning to prison since a 2000 study looked at prisoners returning after their release in the 1980s and early 1990s

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Don Rush is the News Director and Senior Producer of News and Public Affairs at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.