The number of felony offenders who return to prison for a later offense appears to be dropping in the state, the Tennessee Department of Correction reports.

And the recidivism rate for offenders convicted of crimes of violence, such as murder, rape and assault, is even lower, TDOC reports.

Three years after their release, these offenders were only 25 percent likely to return to prison, compared to a nearly 44 percent return rate for those convicted of property offenses.

The lowest recidivism rate of all is among inmates who have served their entire sentence before release, TDOC spokeswoman Dorinda Carter said.

"While any return of such serious offenders is undesirable, the consistent ability of the TDOC to achieve these low return rates is noteworthy," said Commissioner Gayle Ray.

"The lower recidivism rates show that rehabilitation efforts, which include evidence-based programming, are working and must continue," the commissioner added.

In 2005, about 38 percent of all Tennessee offenders had returned to prison in less than three years. In 2001, the rate was 42 percent.

That 3 percent drop in return meant an annual savings of $3,934,000, based on the average daily rate of $64.92 to house an inmate.

While there is no recognized national average for recidivism, return rates range as high as 65 percent in some states, according to TDOC.