@CliffSedge
I have a table here that I don't quite understand
x 0 1 2 3 4 5
P(x) 0.237 0.396 0.264 0.088 0.015 0.001
x= # of prisons out of 5 on parole who become repeat offenders.
What is P(x)? and why does it add up to 1?

Question

@CliffSedge 
I have a table here that I don't quite understand
x        0        1       2         3        4       5
P(x) 0.237 0.396 0.264 0.088 0.015 0.001
x= # of prisons out of 5 on parole who become repeat offenders. 
What is P(x)?  and why does it add up to 1?

anonymous · Answer

If they add up to 1, those could be probabilities or proportions.

anonymous · Answer

Criminal Justice: Parole USA Today reported that approximately 25% of all
state prison inmates released on parole become repeat offenders while on parole.
Suppose the parole board is examining five prisoners up for parole. Let x= number of prisoners out of five on parole who become repeat offenders.
The methods of Section 5.2 can be used to compute the probability assignments
for the x distribution.

anonymous · Answer

so x from 0 to 5 are not "the prisoners"

anonymous · Answer

I guess I don't understand what x is...sigh

anonymous · Answer

It is a little strangely worded, but it says that x is number out of 5, so x itself is a proportion.

anonymous · Answer

e.g. x=3 means 3 out of the 5 prisoners up for parole will be repeat offenders.

anonymous · Answer

$$\frac05$$ why is there are chance for repeat offense?

anonymous · Answer

probability I mean

anonymous · Answer

*shrug* that's just what they are measuring here.

anonymous · Answer

so when no one is on parole the probability or re-offending is 0.237? That's what they're trying to tell me?

anonymous · Answer

*of

anonymous · Answer

No, it's saying that for every 5 prisoners out on parole the probability that 0 of them will offend again is 0.237

anonymous · Answer

OOHHHHHH....LOL! That makes much more sense! haha

anonymous · Answer

5 are out on parole at all time I guess

anonymous · Answer

It's just an average 'per 5' basis. There could be 100 parolees, so x=3 means 60 out of 100.

anonymous · Answer

one last thing...

anonymous · Answer

the probability that 5/5 parolees will re-offend is very slim? highly unlikely?

anonymous · Answer

Yeah, 0.001 is pretty low, 1-in-1,000 chance, but if there are 5,000 parolees, then that's practically a sure thing.

anonymous · Answer

(Practically a sure thing to get 5 out of 5,000, not 5,000 out of 5,000 that is)

anonymous · Answer

Yep makes sense. Thank you once again!

anonymous · Answer

My pleasure.