Additional Funding Sources
The project described was supported by a student grant from the UI Office of Undergraduate Research.
Abstract
The September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center changed the nation’s approach to counterterrorism, leading to policies focused on capture and detainment. As a result, the Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp, a military facility, was created in 2002. Most alleged extremists housed there have now been transferred to other countries for further detention or release. This transfer creates a unique opportunity to understand recidivism rates among these groups. Without such an assessment, legislators cannot know whether detention at Guantanamo Bay has been effective at reforming terrorists. The Terrorism Recidivism Study (TRS) database provides this necessary assessment.
The TRS study consists of two phases. The first part, which is completed, involved gathering information on the recidivism patterns of those processed through the traditional criminal justice system. The second phase, which is the focus of this presentation, examines extremists processed through the military system, resulting in detention in Guantanamo. This phase entails collecting information on the history, capture, detention, transfer, and most importantly, recidivism of detainees. It will assess the effectiveness of the military system in deterring recidivism and will allow us to compare the military system to the criminal justice system, providing a more comprehensive understanding of this phenomenon.
Terrorism Recidivism Study
The September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center changed the nation’s approach to counterterrorism, leading to policies focused on capture and detainment. As a result, the Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp, a military facility, was created in 2002. Most alleged extremists housed there have now been transferred to other countries for further detention or release. This transfer creates a unique opportunity to understand recidivism rates among these groups. Without such an assessment, legislators cannot know whether detention at Guantanamo Bay has been effective at reforming terrorists. The Terrorism Recidivism Study (TRS) database provides this necessary assessment.
The TRS study consists of two phases. The first part, which is completed, involved gathering information on the recidivism patterns of those processed through the traditional criminal justice system. The second phase, which is the focus of this presentation, examines extremists processed through the military system, resulting in detention in Guantanamo. This phase entails collecting information on the history, capture, detention, transfer, and most importantly, recidivism of detainees. It will assess the effectiveness of the military system in deterring recidivism and will allow us to compare the military system to the criminal justice system, providing a more comprehensive understanding of this phenomenon.