NCJ Number
247251
Date Published
February 2012
Length
50 pages
Annotation
This report presents the results of a study examining recidivism rates for sex offenders in Connecticut.
Abstract
This report is part of a series of criminal justice reports prepared by the Criminal Justice Policy and Planning Division of the Connecticut Office of Policy and Management. This report focuses specifically on recidivism rates for sex offenders. Highlights of the study's findings include the following: of the 746 offenders who had served a prison sentence for at least 1 sex-related offense and were released from prison in 2005, 3.6 percent were arrested and charged with a new sex crime over the next 5 years, 2.7 percent were convicted for a new sex offense over the next 5 years, and 1.7 percent were returned to prison to serve a sentence for a new sex crime; 79 percent of the offenders were discharged directly from a prison facility at the end of their sentence; arrest on a prior sex charge was the single best predictor of sex offenders being sentenced to prison for a new sex crime; and of the offenders released from prison, almost 30 percent had extensive, violent non-criminal histories. This study tracked 14,398 for a 5-year period following their release from a Connecticut prison in 2005 to determine the recidivism rates for various groups of offenders. The purpose of the study is to obtain information for use by policymakers and front-line professionals working to reduce crime and maximize efficiency through the State's criminal justice system. The findings from this specific study will be used to find cost-effective strategies for reducing recidivism rates among high-risk sex offenders. Tables, figures, and appendixes