Registered Sex Offender Recidivism

INTRODUCTION
Sex offenders are the most vilified group in society. People hate and despise them and think they should be locked up for life. Other criminals consider them too abominable to associate with. They are seen as dangerous sexual predators for whom treatment won’t work and who are at a high risk to reoffend. These beliefs are widespread, unsupported by facts, and have resulted in harsh laws specifically targeting sex offenders (Quinn, Forsyth, & Mullen‐Quinn, 2004). These laws are easily passed since it is politically dangerous to take any stance other than that of being tough on sex offenders. Such laws include central registries that exist in all 50 states, involuntary civil commitment laws in 16 states, and new laws in several states restricting where released sex offenders can live.

The focus is now on protecting society rather than individual rights. Janus (2004b) notes the paradigm of governmental social control has shifted from solving and punishing crimes to identifying “dangerous” people and depriving them of their liberty before they can do harm. I believe the net result of this may well be to increase rather than decrease recidivism of sex offenders and make society as a whole more dangerous rather than safer in terms of sexual violence.

CONCLUSIONS
Sex offenders are hated and reviled. Vilification of sex offenders has resulted in the passage of laws and sanctions that have broad public support, are politically advantageous to support, and give the illusion of increasing society’s safety from sexual violence. But there is no evidence they fulfill this promise. The registries, notification requirements, and housing restrictions make it far harder for sex offenders to turn around their lives and succeed in society. In such cases they may become more, rather than less likely to reoffend. Additionally, as Janus (2004a) points out, every dollar spent on these programs “is a dollar that could be spent on the much more ubiquitous, but relatively invisible, forms of violence against women and children” (p. 1250). But as long as sex offenders remain the most despised and vilified members of society, it is unlikely that any politician will have the courage to take a different stance.Back to: http://www.2nd-chance.info/