Is Prison Sexual Offending Indicative of Community Risk?

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Abstract
This study examines whether prison sexual offending behaviors are predictive of violence upon release. Recidivism rates for four groups of male sex offenders were compared: (a) offenders convicted of community sex crimes, (b) community sex offenders who were convicted under non-sex-crime charges, (c) offenders known only to commit sexually abusive misconduct in prison, and (d) offenders with both community and prison sex offenses. The findings reveal that prison sex offenders are significantly more likely to be arrested for violent offenses upon release. They pose a similar risk to convicted sex offenders on arrests for sexual offenses; however, the average time to arrest was much shorter for prison sex offenders. Using nontraditional data sources (e.g., Accurint, the Colorado and National Sex Offender Registries) considerably increased the known recidivism rate. Implications for prevention and treatment are discussed.

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