Recidivism is the tendency of a person to RELAPSE into a previous behavior or condition, especially criminal behavior. It is often used to describe the repeated or habitual return of a criminal to crime after being punished or released from prison. The term can be broken down into three parts: re- (again), cidi- (fall), and -ism (state or condition). The crossword solutions for recidivism are DETERIORATION (13 letters), RELAPSE (7 letters), LAPSE (5 letters), and BACKSLIDING (11 letters). All of these terms refer to a person's return to a previous state or condition, usually in a negative sense.