Sex offenders unlikely to commit second crime

New Scientist, 06 July 2008, Magazine issue 2663

Sex crime statistics tend to make depressing reading, but now there is  some good news from the most populous state in the US. Just 3.2 per cent  of more than 4000 sex offenders released on parole in 2002 were  re-imprisoned for another sex offence in the subsequent 5 years,  according to new figures from California. While experts know that sex offenders are less likely to reoffend than  most other criminals (New Scientist, 24 February 2007, p 3), the very  low rate of re-imprisonment in the new study will challenge public  perceptions about the risks these criminals pose.

The figures are broadly consistent with a 2007 Minnesotan study, which  found that 3.2 per cent of sex offenders released from 1990 to 2002 had  been re-imprisoned for a further sex crime within 3 years of their release. What's more, sex offenders in Minnesota are even less likely to reoffend ...

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