In an even larger parallel study by California's Sex Offender Management Board, tracking 4,204 paroled sex offenders, only 3.21 percent were convicted of a new sex offense within 5 years of release.In both studies, almost all of the recidivism came within the first year post-release. Sex offenders were returned to custody for parole violations at a lower rate than other paroled prisoners, despite the fact that they were supervised more intensely. And they were more likely to be rearrested for crimes other than sex offenses.
The findings are consistent with a smaller study two years ago of recidivism by civilly committed Sexually Violent Predators. Of 93 such high-risk offenders released from Atascadero State Hospital without completing treatment, only 4.3 percent reoffended within six years.
The data call into question the dramatically higher recidivism rates cited by state evaluators at Sexually Violent Predator (SVP) civil commitment trials. Those data are based on Canadian research with an actuarial instrument called the Static 99. The Static 99 recidivism base rates are 18 percent after five years and 21.3 percent after 10 years, many times higher than the California data.
The statistical procedure of survival analysis may explain some of this discrepancy, but is unlikely to account for most of it. In survival analysis, an offender who dies or is reimprisoned is removed from the data pool, so that only offenders who are at risk of reoffending are calculated.
Rates of detected recidivism among sex offenders have dropped precipitously in recent years. In a 10-year period, sexual assaults against adolescents age 12-17 dropped by 79 percent; substantiated sexual abuse cases involving children dropped 39 percent in the same period. Possible reasons for the decline include greater public awareness and more severe punishments.
The data are a bit hidden at the California Sex Offender Management Board's website, so I have made them available HERE (5-year study) and HERE (10-year study).
You're right, this is shocking, I thought the rates were much higher. However, it's important to look at the total picture.
ReplyDeleteIf we simply said, "oops, we were wrong!" and let these bozos out sooner, then what have we accomplished? We lowered the punishment and the accountability.
So it's important to determine if harsher penalties are the reason that recidivism rates are low. Because if harsher punishment is what caused the low rates, then reducing the punishment would simply increase the number of victims.
Frankly, I have a suspicion that it isn't harsher punishment once found guilty and sentenced which reduces rates, but the percentage chance of being found guilty in the first place. If somebody knows there is a extreme likelyhood of being convicted, they wouldn't bother to commit the crime at all. If you know you're likely to get away with it, then the crime becomes more tempting.
That's why I care more about the percentage who are found guilty then any other criteria.
nice blog, btw, you need a wider readership!
I have known this for years. The politicians keep lying about the recidivism rate to go for easy votes.
ReplyDeleteThe public keeps swallowing it and the politicians keep us paying for useless laws.
I wish I could find either of the reports mentioned. I'd like to believe since recidivism studies were available well before Jessica's Law was voted on. Can some one help? The link to the "10 year study" goes to an USA today article.
ReplyDeleteDue to feedback from readers who have not been able to locate the data at the California Sex Offender Management Board's website, I have uploaded the data to my website. You should now be able to click on the above links (the word "HERE" at the bottom of the post) to get to the data.
ReplyDeletestill cant get access to the data and your right the website IS complicated
ReplyDeleteCarole, the center for sexual offense management's recidivism of sexual offenders (2001) has these statistics
ReplyDelete