A lot of people talk about sex offender recidivism and to be completely honest – drives me crazy. I admit that it probably has a lot to do with me being a sex offender; otherwise I probably wouldn’t care.
I think what drives me crazy is people jumping on the bandwagon and repeating rumors versus facts. It is the neighborhood activists who proclaim that the neighbors are not safe with criminals in them. These are people who are simply creating a false hysteria. There is no ‘safety’ in this thought process. If I ever ask someone to cite sources and open a discussion with me on the subject, I’m met with statements like “it’s common sense” or a hostile attitude.
But seriously, think about it. If I wanted to offend again (… I do not) What is the use of my photo being published on a website? I have asked numerous stay at home parents to describe the appearance of any sex offender who lives within a 5 mile radius. None of them have been able to give me a single description.
Not only that, but if I were to reoffend, is the public ignorant enough to think I would reoffend in my home or workplace? (…because these are the only two places I need to register where I am located). I am not obligated to share when I go to the supermarket, when I go to the park, when I go to a soccer game, etc. It seems to me that hysteria has rudely triumphed over “common sense” in this department.
Recidivism is not good with any crime. People have flaws. Without diving into the religious side of that statement, let’s just agree that all individuals do nonsense…and some of those individuals repeat such nonsense. Those are just the facts.
But when it comes to comparing risks and repeat rates, the facts speak volumes. I just don’t think a lot of people are listening. Ironically, it was my state-mandated therapist who told me that the public is misinformed. This is a woman who spends 40+ hours a week speaking to and advising numerous convicted sex offenders, and she was the one who told me that sex offenders have the lowest recidivism rates outside of murder. (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2006)
She shared with me that study (…based on sex offenders released from prison in 1994) of the Department of Justice suggests:
Within 3 years of their 1994 state prison release, 5.3 percent of sex offenders (…men who had committed rape or sexual assault) they were arrested again for another sex crime. Not only that, sex offenders were less likely than non-sex offenders to be re-arrested for ANY crime: 43 percent of sex offenders vs. 68 percent of non-sex offenders.
Once again, these are facts and not rumours. Once the public begins to accept these facts, perhaps sex offenders it can move towards being encouraged to rehabilitate versus being shamed and avoided.
