recidivist
/rɪˈsɪdɪvɪst/
noun
- A person who continues to commit crimes after being punished, especially one who returns to prison.
- The judge gave a longer sentence to the recidivist because he had been in prison many times before.
- Programs that help former prisoners find jobs aim to reduce the number of recidivists.
- The police knew the suspect was a recidivist, as his record showed multiple arrests for theft.