Washington State Sex Offenders: Overview of Recidivism Studies

Washington Feb 1995:

INTRODUCTION
Some convicted offenders reoffend after they return to the community.this reoffense behavior is known as recidivism. The percentage of offenders who reoffend within a specified time period is described as the recidivism rate.

State policymakers have expressed interest in knowing the recidivism rates of Washington State sex offenders. Information on these rates can guide policy decisions on issues such as sentence length, terms of supervision, and treatment options.

In 1990, the legislature directed the Washington State Institute for Public Policy to study the effectiveness of the Special Sex Offender Sentencing Alternative (SSOSA). Legislators wanted to know if this treatment option.which allows judges to order community treatment for eligible sex offenders.compromised public safety.

In 1991, the Institute reported on sex offenders who received or were statutorily eligible for SSOSA from January 1985 through June 1986. The report concluded that SSOSA is an effective sentencing alternative for eligible sex offenders because:

• The community is at no greater risk,
• Criminal justice professionals and treatment providers support the alternative, and
• Costs to state government are presumed to be lower.

Following this research, legislators inquired about the recidivism patterns of sex offenders who are not eligible for SSOSA.rapists and repeat child molesters.and requested more information on the effectiveness of treatment.

This publication reports on three studies regarding sex offenders that are designed to answer policymakers. questions. Each study addresses a particular aspect of recidivism.


I. The Special Sex Offender Sentencing Alternative: A Follow-Up Study of Recidivism

This study examines sex offenders who received community treatment, and determines whether their recidivism rates were different from sex offenders who did not receive treatment. It extends the follow-up period of the 1991 study and includes a new group of sex offenders. those not eligible for SSOSA. The study sample included all male sex offenders convicted in Washington State from January 1985 through June 1986.

Sex offense recidivism rates within a seven-year period were: 11 percent for those who received SSOSA, 14 percent for those statutorily eligible but who did not receive SSOSA, and 31 percent for those not eligible for SSOSA.

This study addresses questions such as: Does the community treatment option for sex offenders pose additional risks to public safety? Which offenders are more likely to be selected for community treatment?


II. Recidivism Patterns of Adult Sex Offenders

This second study examines the recidivism patterns of adult sex offenders convicted between 1985 and 1991 in Washington State. The overall recidivism rates for various crime categories were estimated, as well as the offender characteristics that were associated with a higher likelihood of rearrest. This study had the largest sample (1,373).

Recidivism rates within a seven-year period were estimated to be: 12 percent for sex offenses, 3 percent for violent offenses, and 8 percent for other felony offenses.

This study addresses questions such as: What is the overall pattern of recidivism for sex offenders? What are the characteristics of sex offenders who are most likely to commit additional sex offenses? Does a community treatment sentence reduce recidivism?


III. The Twin Rivers Sex Offender Treatment Program: Recidivism Rates

The third study compares the recidivism patterns of sex offenders who received treatment during prison confinement with those of offenders who were imprisoned without treatment.

The treated offenders completed a sex offender program at Twin Rivers Corrections Center and resided in the community for an average of 20 months.

The estimated recidivism rate of the treatment group (11 percent) was slightly lower than the rate of the comparison group (12 percent). However, the difference was not statistically significant. ..more.. by Lin Song -and- Roxanne Lieb

Zachary S. Nelson, Pedophile Convicted at 15 and Facing Life, Is One of Many Young Sex Criminals

6-25-2011 Washington:

Zachary S. Nelson is said to have molested his first boy at age 4. Since then he's been charged with and convicted of two other sex crimes: one for dragging a 4-year-old sleeping boy out of his bed and molesting him and another for raping a 5-year-old girl. His conviction came at age 15.

Now, at 19, after spending most of his life in and out of mental institutions with seemingly no improvement in his behavior, prosecutors have filed paperwork to try and send him to McNeil Island possibly for the rest of his life.

Interestingly, he may have plenty of company his age.

The P-I has the story this morning on Nelson, who psychologists contend is a committed pedophile that will re-offend at the first given opportunity.

No one is coming to his defense, either; apparently, when his mother was told that if Nelson was released he'd have to come stay with her, she said "Oh, hell no!"

Perhaps most interesting in the P-I's story is this little fact thrown out by state-contracted psychologist Harry Hoberman, explaining that young offenders like Nelson are far from uncommon.

Juvenile sex offenders account for a disproportionately large percentage of sexual offenses, Hoberman told the court. He went on to assert that juvenile offenders are responsible for one of every five rapes, and 30 to 50 percent of sexual assaults against children.

The P-I's piece didn't note where that figure came from, but a cursory look through law-enforcement studies appears to back up the notion that when it comes to molesting young kids, slightly older kids are often the main culprits.

Here are some charts from a 2000 study by the National Center for Juvenile Justice:

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UPDATE: Psychologist Harry Hoberman just called in to also note another another study by the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention that shows the high rate of juvenile offenders that commit sex crimes against children.

As you can see, the age of sex offenders peaks around 13 or 14 for very young victims, then gets slightly older as the victims themselves get older.

So while it's notable that a man who was convicted at age 15 of a sex crime may never see freedom, it would appear that his circumstances are far from uncommon. ..Source.. by Curtis Cartier

SEXUAL PREDATOR COMMITMENT LAWS IN THE UNITED STATES: 1998 UPDATE

Washington 1998:

Note: This is the best paper we have found that explains the process of civil commitment from prison (end of sentence) through to civil commitment facility:

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Twelve states have statutes that authorize the confinement and treatment of highly
dangerous sex offenders following completion of their criminal sentence: Arizona,
California, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, New Jersey, North Dakota, South Carolina, Washington, and Wisconsin. These laws are commonly referred to as "sexual predator" laws. This report describes sexual predator laws and compares several of their key provisions.

As of the summer of 1998, more than 520 sexual predators have been committed in these 12 states.

Sexual predator laws conform in many aspects. Key similarities include the following:

· Commitment follows a criminal sentence.
· The laws target repeat sex offenders.
· Evidence regarding the individual’s likelihood of future violence is central to decisionmaking.

In comparing state statutes, some differences emerge:

· Most states require the "beyond a reasonable doubt" standard used in criminal proceedings as the burden of proof for commitment; others use the lower standard of "clear and convincing evidence."

· A few states specifically provide that juveniles are eligible for commitment, while others stipulate that petitions can only be filed on persons who are 18 years of age or older.

· California’s law calls for a time-limited confinement of two years, while the remaining eleven states authorize indeterminate periods of commitment.

The earliest statutes, in Washington and Kansas, were quite similar, although each law has been slightly modified since its passage. With the U.S. Supreme Court decision in 1997 upholding the constitutionality of Kansas' law, the next wave of statutes is likely to show more individuality.

In 1998, legislative proposals for post-release confinement of sexual predators were introduced in at least 21 states.

For the remainder of this paper: by Roxanne Lieb -and- Scott Matson, Washington State Institute for Public Policy

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The 1998 individual state commitment procedures and policies:

Arizona
California
Florida
Illinois
Iowa
Kansas
Minnesota
New Jersey
North Dakota
South Carolina
Washington
Wisconsin

Diagnostic and Risk Profiles Among Civilly Committed Sex Offenders in Washington State

Washington 2007:

Abstract:
Since 1990, 17 states have passed legislation allowing for the civil commitment of a small number of sex offenders who are deemed at a particularly high risk for reoffense. Despite the very public and controversial nature of these laws, little is known about the individuals who are detained pursuant to them. The current article presents data on 190 civilly committed and detained sexually violent predators in Washington State. These sexual offenders suffer from a variety of mental illnesses. The modal offender is diagnosed with both an Axis I and an Axis II disorder. Furthermore, these offenders are at moderate to high risk for reoffense and present with a significant degree of psychopathy.

For the remainder of this paper: by Rebecca L. Jackson, Pacific Graduate School of Psychology, Palo Alto, CA -and- Henry J. Richards, Special Commitment Center, Steilacoom,WA

WASHINGTON STATE SEX OFFENDER TREATMENT PROVIDERS SURVEY 2009

June 2009:

Background and Methodology

At the request of Washingtonfs Sex Offender Policy Board, the Social and Economic Sciences Research Center, Puget Sound Division, Washington State University (SESRC) conducted a survey of the sex offender treatment providers (SOTP) licensed by the State of Washington to assist sex offenders transitioning into Washington communities.

Working with the Benchmarks Committee and SOPB staff, SESRC prepared a protocol of questions regarding the SOTPfs observations of sex offender transition. The survey investigated issues of housing, employment, and community support for the offender, as well as the operation of the transition gsystem.This included the SOTPfs assessment of the coordination of services, management of supporting records, and other issues identified as salient by "The Comprehensive Protocol: A Systemwide Review of Adult and Juvenile Ex Offender Management Strategies," prepared by the Center for Sex Offender Management.

Invitations to participate in the on]line survey were sent to treatment providers identified by the Washington State Department of Health, the Washington Association of Treatment Providers and the Sex Offender Policy Board. Eighty]five invitations were issued. Nine invitees responded that they did not find the survey appropriate. (Most were not treating adult male sex offenders, the subject of the survey.) Of the 72 remaining invitees, 26 completed surveys, a 36 percent response rate. The survey was completed during June 2009.

For the remainder of this paper: by KYRA KESTER, PH.D.

WA- SEX OFFENDER SENTENCING IN WASHINGTON STATE: HAS COMMUNITY NOTIFICATION REDUCED RECIDIVISM?

December 2005:

SUMMARY
This report examines the relationship between recidivism and Washington’s passage of sex offender registration and community notification statutes.

Have these policies reduced the recidivism rates of sex offenders?

We tracked 8,359 sex offenders released from Washington prisons before passage of the statutes (1986–1989), after passage of the 1990 law (1990–1996), and after passage of the amendments in 1997.

Statistical techniques are used to determine the effect of the law by controlling for observed differences in offenders. Recidivism is defined as a conviction in Washington State for an offense committed during the five-year period after the offender leaves prison.

Three types of recidivism are measured: (1) any new felony conviction, (2) any new violent felony conviction, and (3) any new felony sex conviction.

Findings

• Felony recidivism rates remained the same before and after enactment of the statutes.

• The violent felony recidivism rate of sex offenders released after the 1997 amendments is 2 percentage points below the pre-1990 rate— equivalent to a 20 percent reduction in violent felony recidivism.

• The felony sex recidivism rate for post-1997 offenders is 5 percentage points below the pre-1990 rate— equivalent to a 70 percent reduction in felony sex recidivism.

Violent and sexual felony recidivism by sex offenders in Washington has decreased since passage of the 1997 statute. The causal link to notification laws is not proven by this research. Other conditions may be contributing to this reduction, such as the national and state drop in crime rates and the state’s increased incarceration (incapacitation) of sex offenders.

However, the drop in recidivism rates by sex offenders is clear, and the influence of community notification laws cannot be ruled out.


Introduction:
The 2004 Legislature directed the Washington State Institute for Public Policy (Institute) to evaluate the effectiveness of sex offender sentencing policies in Washington State.1

A previous report covered recidivism rates of sex offenders in Washington State.2 This report examines the influence of sex offender registration and community notification statutes on recidivism.

The 1990 Community Protection Act and subsequent amendments to the law require sex offenders to register with the sheriff in their county of residence.3 The Act authorizes law enforcement to release information to the public regarding dangerous sex offenders (“community notification”).4

Decision-making by government officials related to community notification has evolved over time. In the early 1990s, a multi-disciplinary committee in the Department of Corrections (DOC), the End of Sentence Review Committee (ESRC), issued three types of notifications to law enforcement: Special Bulletins (highest risk), Law Enforcement Alerts, and Teletype.5

In 1997, the notification law was significantly modified to establish a more consistent statewide approach; the ESRC was directed to set the offender’s risk level (I, II, or III).6 Local law enforcement is allowed to modify the level of sex offenders living in their jurisdictions. The Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs created model policy for release of information.7 This study examines recidivism rates of sex offenders during three periods: before passage of the 1990 Community Protection Act, after 1990 but before passage of the 1997 legislation, and after the 1997 amendments.

Measuring recidivism requires a five-year period of time in the community (and one additional year for processing in the courts). As a result, only offenders released from prison before October 1999 are included in the analyses.8 We measure three types of recidivism: a conviction in Washington State for (1) any new felony offense, (2) any new violent felony offense, and (3) any new felony sex offense.9 This follows legislative definition of recidivism.10

For the remainder of this study: by Washington State Institute for Public Policy

WA- Sex Offender Sentencing in Washington State: Recidivism Rates

August 2005:

SUMMARY
This report describes the recidivism rates of Washington State sex offenders.

Findings

• Compared with the full population of felony offenders, sex offenders have the lowest recidivism rates for felony offenses (13 percent) and violent felony offenses (6.7 percent) but the highest recidivism rates for felony sex offenses (2.7 percent).

• Sex offenders who victimize children have the lowest felony recidivism rates as well as the lowest sex (2.3 percent) and violent felony (5.7 percent) recidivism rates. Rapists have the highest sex (3.9 percent) and violent felony (9.5 percent) recidivism rates. Some select populations of sex offenders in the state have been found to have much higher recidivism rates.3

• Sex offenders who complete SSOSA,4 an outpatient treatment sentence, have the lowest recidivism rates in all categories. In contrast, sex offenders sentenced to prison have the highest rates. Those sentenced to jail or community supervision have rates similar to, but slightly below, the recidivism rates of those sentenced to prison.

The relatively low “base rate” of recidivism makes it challenging to predict reoffending. Subsequent reports will cover this topic in detail.



Introduction:
The 2004 Legislature directed the Washington State Institute for Public Policy to analyze the impact and effectiveness of current sex offender sentencing policies.1 Because the topic is extensive, we are publishing a series of reports.

This report describes the recidivism rates of Washington State sex offenders. It examines the 4,091 sex offenders placed in the community from 1994 to 1998 after release from prison or jail or a community supervision sentence. Typically, news articles report sex offender recidivism with one number. This study examines recidivism from multiple perspectives, looking at the type of sex offender (child victim, rapist, sex offender with priors) and the categories of crimes after release (sex, violent, non-violent, misdemeanor).

This study defines recidivism as a conviction occurring during the first five years after release to the community. In addition, the time between the date of a recidivism offense and the conviction for that offense—the adjudication period—is taken into account. Our previous work indicates that a one-year adjudication period captures nearly all convictions.2

For the remainder of this study: by Washington State Institute for Public Policy