It's all they know, or out of desperation.

Sometimes people get institutionalized. they are comfortable with 3 hots and a cot in jail. Other times I think thy have impulse issues, or they fail to see the light at the end of the tunnel so they do what works for them to get instant gratification.

they are addicted to whatever it is their doing and alot of times their morals dont live up to those expected from society

My Bro-in-law has spent most of his adult life in and out of jail and I think it is because he never learned how to function in the real world. He can't grasp the idea of working for minimum wage and earning for yourself. He goes right back to dealing drugs because it is quick and easy and when he gets locked up again he feels more at home then he does on the outside.

Because they believe that they need to do it to survive (stealing), or they believe that they are helping human kind (some serial killers). Also, they just may not know any better. Or they think that the punishment they received was worth doing what they did. Or they may even think that they won't get caught next time. Not to mention mental illnesses.

Because they have no respect for the law or socity as a whole. Most of them have a mental defect called borderline personality disorder which means they have no concience or empathy for others. And there is no cure. My brother is a prime example of this. He's been in and out of jail since junior high and has a seriouse drug problem. But to hear him talk he's never done anything wrong. It's always somebody else's fault or a big misunderstanding. And he will minipulate people into giving him his way with sob story after sob story. It's why I've disowned him.

If you can get away with something, why not try and push it, and see how far you can take it without getting caught. Sometimes it's just a thrill like shoplifting, or sometimes people just don't care. Or maybe, people don't realise they are actually doing something wrong, and continue to do something that think is okay.

They dont get punished hard enough. Difficult to keep stealing if your hands have been cut off I would think

Its a bahavior that they are born with and will keep repeating the same behavior. If someone does something wrong, they do it over and over again. Its called insanity.

for the most part, it's probably because whatever problem they have is parallel to a mental disorder they might suffer from --- whether it be bipolar, multiple personalities, depression, etc.

This is one of the perpetual issues in criminology. In my opinion, given the vast difference in recidivism rates for property crimes (robbery, vehicle theft, et.) and crimes like murder, I would have to say that a large component is the pay-off - material gain. The rate for property crimes is over 70% and the rate for muder is under 5%. The repeat murderer gets a lot more press so we have the illusion that they are more prevalent than they really are. Combined that with the probable poor impulse control that contributed to the original crime and you can see how easy it would be to commit a second crime, especially if you delude yourself into thinking that you learned what when wrong the first time and this time you know how not to get caught.

Because the laws are set up where the punishment ain't harsh enough for the crimes they do. If they would make them have to suffer for their crimes instead of having all these rights they would not repeat the offenses. The criminals have more rights then the victims & that is why they keep doing worse. I bet if we had a government more like overseas where if u were caught stealing & they cut your hand off, shop lifting would be a thing of the past. Also if you raped a woman & would have ride bare backed, oiled down camels to their home & what ever part of you falls off the camel gets cut off I some how think violating a persons body would be a thing of the past too. As well as if you murder someone you are shot down your self. But we are to into wanting to know why they commeted these hideous acts of violence instead of punishing them for doing it. Not fair to the victims & their families. But if you can do the crime & not spend no time, why would you do the right thing if you could take something w/o working for it or hurt someone just because you can & get away with it why wouldn't you. Most criminals can do enough drugs to numb what lil bit of a conscious they would have & the laws protect them more then their victims.

Most repeat criminal offenders are offsprings of a parent or parent, that was or is a criminal. like the saying goes, its in the family genes. Lets look at why a person may become a repeat criminal offender: l. the family genes 2. lazy, never held a steady, decent job, ever 3. not a responsible, trustworthy citizen 4. when arrested, he knows the state or federal government will provide him an attorney for free. 5. housing is free 6. medical and psychological is free 7. all transportation is free 8. food is free Repeat offenders know the system and its a 50/50 gamble to be apprehended. even if they are arrested, look at the "benefits" the public has to provide these people. You would be shocked at the cost to house a prisoner for one month. Who pays? we do. Why not be a repeat offender? they have all to gain and not much to lose.

Because they got caught the first time and they want to try to get away with it this time.

Because in prison they don't get counseling,and are not shown ways to alter their behavioral patterns.The prison system is as much to blame ,if not more to blame than the prisoners. It is flawed and no one gives a damn especially the guards. If the criminals see no other option than to go back to the life of crime,they will do so. In order to get repeat criminals off the street we must show them alternatives in the prison system.

it's a mental thing.

because some laws are foolish

Depends the criminal. Some are retarted, some do it out of desperation, etc.

The same reason voters who vote republican do. Some people just cannot understand the evil they bring upon others, because they see no evil in themselves.

Habit?

Because they didn't learn their lesson the first time.

maybe jail is better than being homeless to them