In de oude fout

In criminology, measuring recidivism is a well-known method of establishing the preventive effect of penal interventions. Recidivism research in the Netherlands has lacked a sound methodological basis and there is consequently no comprehensive view on the outcome of penal interventions - until recently, that is since the WODC has meanwhile developed a 'Recidivism Monitor'. This is a project in which reconviction rates of virtually all offenders who have come into contact with the Dutch judiciary are routinely computed. The development of this instrument and its applications in evaluation research form the central themes of this dissertation