This report verifies what research and reform advocates have said for years. Most convicted sex offenders do not re-offend. Many do not need extensive treatment or supervision. Criteria used to determine levels and classifications are "hopelessly flawed."
Multiply this times every state, and the scope of the problem is immense. Millions in dollars and other resources are being thrown down the toilet.
With over 90% of all sexual offenses, close to 100% with children, being committed by those not on a registry, this ineffective model not only wastes resources but also leaves victims with no hope for the future. The only way to lower the incidences of future sexual assault is with comprehensive awareness and education programs in communities and schools for both adults and children.
The article makes note of the fact that some victims' advocates were unhappy with the report and in disagreement with it. The only reason some victims' groups--not all do--would want to continue with the current system is that perpetual revenge against those who have already offended takes precedence over the prevention of new victims in the future.
I cannot think of anything more selfish.
Well put. I'm curious how you are arriving at the 100% claim.
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting. It is an "almost 100%" claim, and I base it largely on a chart that I use in this blog entry: http://with-justiceforall.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-truth-about-public-sex-offender.html.
ReplyDeleteThe numbers in the chart are from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. It shows the percentage of categories of sexual abuse perpetrators against those under the age of 18, and the vast majority are family members and acquaintances. The percentage of stranger molestation varies, depending on the age of the child, from 1.8% to 5.7%. Of these tiny percentages, an even tinier percentage will be registered offenders. Given those numbers, I feel comfortable saying that almost 100% of child sexual abuse is committed by those not already on a registry.
What is the rate of recidivism among all who are on the registry?
ReplyDeleteHave you ever read the fable about the ten--or however many--blind men grouped around an elephant; they were asked to describe what the elephant looked like based on what they felt. One felt the trunk, another a leg, another an ear, another the side, one the tail....this is recidivism.
ReplyDeleteWhen you say recidivism, what do you mean?
Any report and any commentary about recidivism is only as good as the ability of the person reading it to properly decipher every factor that went into the study, and unless one is a trained researcher and analyst, that is next to impossible. That is why we cut to the chase: what is "the" recidivism rate?
Understanding all of the factors includes the vocabulary and the definitions. Are we talking any offense, including parole violations, that results in a re-arrest, or only a repeat sexual offense? Are we talking re-arrest, re-conviction, or re-incarceration before it is labeled "recidivism"? Was the study group a cross-section of all offenders, or did it focus on special populations? Were control groups in place? Was proper procedure followed? Was there peer review?
The DOJ did a massive study of all released sex offenders and found, at the end of three years, that 5.3% had been re-arrested for a re-offense of a sexual crime.
Most state follow-up studies find their re-offense rates in the low single digits. We know that most offenders living in the community will not re-offend sexually. But we also know that some will. This is the best I can do.
When did the DOJ provide these numbers.
ReplyDeleteSee the footnotes here: http://with-justiceforall.blogspot.com/search/label/recidivism
ReplyDeleteand the chart here: http://with-justiceforall.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-truth-about-public-sex-offender.html
and the 2012 DOJ report here: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/238060.pdf
Many of those who are objecting to the Colorado article are in the "Rescue Industry" and must protect their government and private grants.
ReplyDeleteAnd of course the mental health professionals and probation/ parole departments don't want to lose their portion of the cash cow.
BTW, the California Dept. of Corrections and Rehabilitation stated in 2012 that only 1.9% of registrants have committed another sex offense. So they are wasting time and money on the other 98%.
the percentage of people on the registry who do not reoffend is 99.9995%
ReplyDeletehttp://sosen.org/2014/01/20/who-really-commits-new-sex-crimes.html
Makes me wonder where these people that would treat citizens like it is 1930s-45 Germany get their information.
there are to many lawmakers in all states has used sex offenders laws as a way to get elected or reelected . by these laws they have passed dose more harm than good.not only do they destroy that persons life ,but their whole family.no one remembers(lawmakers) when they were a teen or a young man or woman.they have done the same as most of the sex offender registry for life.are they just as much a threat as the ones that got caught? if not ,then why should the ones that got caught be punished for doing the same as the ones that did not get caught..why should people be punished for something they did not do? why should a none violent offender get the same punishment as a violent offender??shouldn't they get punished for what they did ,not someone else..these one law fits all is unjust,inhuman, unconstitutional and just down right wrong.
ReplyDeleteWell wrote article. Thank you. It would be nice for politicians to step into a life of a person on the registry. See what they have to go through daily. We treat those who have committed drug crimes, murdered people or even hurt children physically better than those on the Sex Offender Registry. Why not at least make it an even playing field?
ReplyDelete