March 2009

Originally published in the Alaska Justice Forum 25(1–2): 14–15 (Spring-Summer 2008).

http://justice.uaa.alaska.edu/forum/25/1-2springsummer2008/g_recidivism.html

For other articles and publications related to sex offenders and violence against women, see:

http://justice.uaa.alaska.edu/vaw/

Abstract: This report compared the rates of recidivism for 232 male sex offenders to 232 randomly selected male non-sex offenders. All were released from the Alaska Department of Corrections in 2001 and their recidivism was tracked for three years.

• Overall, 70% of all offenders were remanded, 61% were rearrested, and 40% were convicted on some charge.
• Sex offenders were less likely to be rearrested than non-sex offenders. There was no significant difference betweensex offenders and non-sex offenders for remands or convictions. In addition, there was no significant difference between sex offenders and non-sex offenders in rearrests for sex crimes.
• Those originally incarcerated for sexual abuse of a minor were less likely to be remanded than other sex offenders, less likely to be rearrested, and less likely to be reconvicted.