Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary · 1913

Recidivism

Recidivism (re*sid"i*viz'm) , noun

(Criminology) The state or quality of being recidivous; relapse,
(Criminology) 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