Recidivism: taken from the New York Times

K. J. Lenihan, 69; Sociologist Studied Cause of Recidivism
By WOLFGANG SAXON
Published: June 01, 1998Sign In to E-Mail


Kenneth Joseph Lenihan, a New York research sociologist who helped refine the scientific methods used in criminology, died May 25 at his home on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. He was 69.

The cause was a heart attack, his family said.

Dr. Lenihan retired in 1995 as an associate professor of sociology at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. He had joined the faculty in 1980, after earlier stints as a researcher at Columbia University's Bureau of Applied Social Research, the Vera Institute of Justice in New York and the Bureau of Social Science Research in Washington.

He brought his expertise to the study of recidivism rates among criminal offenders. He conducted a study in Baltimore, called the Life Project, for the United States Department of Labor in the early 1970's.

A large research project, it measured whether and how giving jobs or money to recently released offenders would affect the chances of their becoming repeaters. That project and further studies formed the basis of a standard work in the field, which he wrote with P. Rossi and D. Berk, ''Money, Work and Crime'' (Academic Press, 1980).



K. J. Lenihan, 69; Sociologist Studied Cause of Recidivism
By WOLFGANG SAXON
Published: June 01, 1998Sign In to E-Mail

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Kenneth Joseph Lenihan, a New York research sociologist who helped refine the scientific methods used in criminology, died May 25 at his home on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. He was 69.

The cause was a heart attack, his family said.

Dr. Lenihan retired in 1995 as an associate professor of sociology at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. He had joined the faculty in 1980, after earlier stints as a researcher at Columbia University's Bureau of Applied Social Research, the Vera Institute of Justice in New York and the Bureau of Social Science Research in Washington.

He brought his expertise to the study of recidivism rates among criminal offenders. He conducted a study in Baltimore, called the Life Project, for the United States Department of Labor in the early 1970's.

A large research project, it measured whether and how giving jobs or money to recently released offenders would affect the chances of their becoming repeaters. That project and further studies formed the basis of a standard work in the field, which he wrote with P. Rossi and D. Berk, ''Money, Work and Crime'' (Academic Press, 1980).


Mr. Lenihan was born in Queens, and graduated from Columbia's School of General Studies in 1960. He also earned his M.A. and Ph.D. in sociology at Columbia, the latter in 1974.

At John Jay he was regarded as a mentor who gave his time and personal care to students in need of extra coaching. He helped them write stronger papers and prepare research studies or doctoral theses.

Dr. Lenihan is survived by two sons, Andrew of Miami, and William of Manhattan; a daughter, Jean Lenihan of Seattle; four sisters, Eileen McEwan of Houston, Moira Earhart of North Carolina, Jean Dobson of Bay Shore, N.Y., and Sue Adams of Cape May, N.J.; and three grandchildren.