Recidivism in Australia : findings and future research / Australian Institute of Criminology, October 2007
http://www.aic.gov.au/publications/rpp/80/
Jason Payne
Research and public policy series, no. 80
"There is still a considerable divide between recidivism research and policy. What policy makers would like to measure is often not the same as researchers are able to measure, given the limitations on appropriate data and available information. As a result, research findings are often used out of context and with little regard for limitations imposed on them by the methodological constraints they face. This is driven primarily by a lack of clarity about an appropriate definition of recidivism and clear articulation of research methodologies. This report deals with important questions relating to recidivism research. It provides a conceptual framework through which recidivism can be defined and interpreted and arms researchers and policy makers with a battery of tools useful in critical assessment of the research literature."