RECIDIVISM

recidivism

(noun) habitual relapse into crime

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Noun

recidivism (countable and uncountable, plural recidivisms)

Committing new offenses after a crime committed in the past.

(psychology, psychiatry) Chronic repetition of criminal or other antisocial behavior.

(by extension) Returning to a negative behavior after having stopped it for a period of time.

Source: Wiktionary

Re*cid"i*vism, n.

Definition: The state or quality of being recidivous; relapse, specif. (Criminology),

Definition: a falling back or relapse into prior criminal habits, esp. after conviction and punishment.

The old English system of recognizances, in which the guilty party deposits a sum of money, is an excellent guarantee to society against recidivism. Havelock Ellis.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition