34 U.S.C. § 60551

1. (a)The National Institute of Justice may conduct research on juvenile and adult offender reentry, including—
   1. (1)a study identifying the number and characteristics of minor children who have had a parent incarcerated, and the likelihood of such minor children becoming adversely involved in the criminal justice system some time in their lifetime;
   2. (2)a study identifying a mechanism to compare rates of recidivism (including rearrest, violations of parole, probation, post-incarceration supervision, and reincarceration) among States; and
   3. (3)a study on the population of offenders released from custody who do not engage in recidivism and the characteristics (housing, employment, treatment, family connection) of that population.
2. (b)The Bureau of Justice Statistics may conduct research on offender reentry, including—
   1. (1)an analysis of special populations (including prisoners with mental illness or substance abuse disorders, female offenders, juvenile offenders, offenders with limited English proficiency, and the elderly) that present unique reentry challenges;
   2. (2)studies to determine which offenders are returning to prison, jail, or a juvenile facility and which of those returning offenders represent the greatest risk to victims and community safety;
   3. (3)annual reports on the demographic characteristics of the population reentering society from prisons, jails, and juvenile facilities;
   4. (4)a national recidivism study every 3 years;
   5. (5)a study of parole, probation, or post-incarceration supervision violations and revocations; and
   6. (6)a study concerning the most appropriate measure to be used when reporting recidivism rates (whether rearrest, reincarceration, or any other valid, evidence-based measure).