NCJ Number
174085
Date Published
1996
Length
33 pages
Annotation
Of those released from Ohio prisons in 1989, 848 were identified as sex offenders, and the 5-year recidivism of these offenders was evaluated.
Abstract
The baseline recidivism rate of sex offenders followed for 5 years after release from prison was 28.3 percent. This rate was comprised of recommitment for a new crime (13.9 percent) and recommitment for a technical violation (14.4 percent). Recommitment for a new crime was divided into sex offenses (5.3 percent) and nonsex offenses (8.6 percent). Recommitment for a technical violation was divided into sex offenses (0.8 percent), sex lapses (1.5 percent), and nonsex related offenses (12.1 percent). The total sex-related recidivism rate, including technical violations of supervision conditions, was 7.6 percent. Recidivism rates differed considerably based on the following victim typology: adult rape victims (48.7 percent), teenage victims between 13 and 17 years of age (31.1 percent), child victims (21.9 percent), and incest cases (8.6 percent). Paroled sex offenders who completed basic sex offender programming while incarcerated appear to have somewhat lower recidivism rates than those who did not have such programming. This was true both for recidivism of any type (35.4 percent with programming compared to 48.1 percent without programming) and sex-related recidivism (6.3 percent with programming compared to 13.1 percent without programming). 30 tables