By now you have read a number of articles concerning the rate of recidivism for sexual offenders, which is very low.
Here are some other alarming facts: When the justice department did its report on criminal recidivism, some very important considerations were left out of the analysis. Things like--an offender’s support systems upon release: whether or not the offender had family support; whether or not the offender had a stable environment to live in upon his release; whether or not the offender was on probation and required to participate in SOTP’s; Whether or not the offender was financially able to establish himself in the community; whether or not the offender played an active role in his reform; and lastly, whether the offender was cooperative.
In order to find solutions for recidivism, it’s of the utmost importance to understand the causes of it. Men that are simply dumped out on the street after a long prison term are typically more likely to engage in some sort of criminal behavior in order to make ends meet. We’d like to hear about your reintegration, and the supports, or lack of supports in your community upon your release.
1 comment:
I don't have an experience to relate, but my immediate thought is that some of the MILLIONS being wasted to track minor offenders could actually be used to research some of the factors you note. While our government is happy to pour money into incarceration, registries, and the monitoring of former offenders, they are not so willing to put funds into figuring out what works, what doesn't, and how we can actually HELP offenders to change maladaptive patterns of behavior. The focus on lifetime punishment has blinded people to the extent that they refuse to consider anything else. They don't want to spend money on anything that could be construed as beneficial to offenders - even if it ultimately results in the "protection of the children."
The environment in which an offender lives certainly impacts reoffending of all kinds (sexual or otherwise), but nobody wants to look at that. They just continue to make the environment worse.
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