ABSTRACT

Many scholars have investigated the impact of imprisonment on recidivism. Several mechanisms are proposed for explaining the deterrent effects of imprisonment. First, incarceration severs criminals' ties with society at large, placing criminals outside the networks of social controls that raise individuals' stakes in conformity. Second, imprisonment socializes inmates into criminal subcultures the norm of which are often more useful than mainstream society's for guiding offenders' lives. Third, prison labels stigmatizes criminals after release, especially in countries where criminal records are systematically checked by prospective employers, reducing criminals' opportunities for finding legitimate means of self-support. Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is one of the crimes for which people know less about the effect of imprisonment on reoffending. Underreporting of IPV victimizations is common in Spain, with few disputes translating into complaints, prosecutions, and convictions. Indeed, Spain's legislation on IPV crimes has changed drastically in recent times.