Child molesters and sexual assaultersOn average, child molesters werereleased after serv<strong>in</strong>g nearly 3 years(33.7 months) <strong>of</strong> their nearly 7-yearsentence (81.1 months) (table 4).Statutory rapists were released afterserv<strong>in</strong>g a little over 2 years <strong>of</strong> theirapproximately 4-year sentence. Uponrelease, almost half <strong>of</strong> the child molestersstill had at least 3 years <strong>of</strong> theirsentence rema<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g to be served,compared to 15% <strong>of</strong> statutory rapists.Table 4. Sentence length and time served for child molestersand statutory rapists released <strong>from</strong> prison <strong>in</strong> <strong>1994</strong>CharacteristicSentence length (<strong>in</strong> months)MeanMedianTime served (<strong>in</strong> months)MeanMedianPercent <strong>of</strong> sentence servedUpon release <strong>in</strong> <strong>1994</strong>, percentwho had served —6 months or less7-1213-1819-2425-3031-3637-6061 months or moreChildmolesters81.1 mo66.033.7 mo25.843.3%5.7%12.620.810.17.211.219.712.8Statutoryrapists49.5 mo36.027.6 mo19.452.8%9.6%20.418.214.38.67.013.48.6Upon release <strong>in</strong> <strong>1994</strong>, percent withtime still rema<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g to be served6 months or less7-1213-1819-2425-3031-3637-6061 months or more2.5%5.410.216.17.98.924.924.110.8%17.426.913.18.58.59.25.6Total first releases3,104Note: The 3,104 child molesters were released <strong>in</strong> 13 States; the 317 statutory rapists <strong>in</strong> 10States. Because <strong>of</strong> overlapp<strong>in</strong>g def<strong>in</strong>itions, all statutory rapists also appear under the column"child molesters." Figures are based on first releases only. First releases <strong>in</strong>clude only those<strong>of</strong>fenders leav<strong>in</strong>g prison for the first time s<strong>in</strong>ce beg<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g their sentence. First releases excludethose who left prison <strong>in</strong> <strong>1994</strong> but who had previously been released under the same sentenceand had returned to prison for violat<strong>in</strong>g the conditions <strong>of</strong> release.31710 <strong>Recidivism</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Sex</strong> Offenders <strong>Released</strong> <strong>from</strong> <strong>Prison</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>1994</strong>
Prior crim<strong>in</strong>al recordAll sex <strong>of</strong>fendersArrests and convictions for m<strong>in</strong>or traffic<strong>of</strong>fenses, public drunkenness, andother petty crimes are <strong>of</strong>ten notentered <strong>in</strong>to <strong>of</strong>ficial crim<strong>in</strong>al records.S<strong>in</strong>ce <strong>of</strong>ficial records formed the basisfor this study’s statistics on arrests andconvictions, these statistics understatelevels <strong>of</strong> contact with the justicesystem. Statistics shown throughoutthis report on arrests and convictionsperta<strong>in</strong> mostly to arrests and convictionsfor felonies and seriousmisdemeanors.Statistics on prior arrests <strong>in</strong> this section<strong>of</strong> the report do not <strong>in</strong>clude the imprisonment<strong>of</strong>fense for which the sex<strong>of</strong>fender was <strong>in</strong> prison <strong>in</strong> <strong>1994</strong>.At the time the 9,691 male sex <strong>of</strong>fenderswere arrested for the sex crime thatresulted <strong>in</strong> their imprisonment —w 78.5% (7,607 <strong>of</strong> the 9,691 men) hadbeen arrested at least one earlier time(table 5)w half had 3 or more prior arrestsfor some type <strong>of</strong> crimew 58.4% (5,660 men) had at least oneprior crim<strong>in</strong>al convictionw 13.9% (1,347 men) had a priorconviction for a violent sex <strong>of</strong>fensew 4.6% (446 men) had been convictedfor a sex crime aga<strong>in</strong>st a childw nearly a quarter had served time <strong>in</strong> aState or Federal prison at least oncebefore for some type <strong>of</strong> crime.All 9,691 were <strong>in</strong> prison <strong>in</strong> <strong>1994</strong>because they had been arrested andconvicted for a sex <strong>of</strong>fense. For 71.5%<strong>of</strong> the 9,691 men (6,929), that arrestwas their first ever for a violent sexcrime. In other words, these 6,929 menhad no previous arrest for a sex<strong>of</strong>fense. For the rema<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g 28.5%(2,762 men), that arrest was not theirfirst sex <strong>of</strong>fense arrest. Some hadbeen arrested once before for a sexcrime and some two or more timesbefore.To illustrate, one <strong>of</strong> the 9,691 sex<strong>of</strong>fenders <strong>in</strong> this study had his firstarrest for a sex crime <strong>in</strong> 1966, when hewas age 19; he was also arrested forsex crimes <strong>in</strong> the 1970’s and 1980’s, <strong>in</strong>three different States. The arrest for hisimprisonment <strong>of</strong>fense was <strong>in</strong> 1982. Inthe early part <strong>of</strong> 1983, 4 months afterhis arrest, he was convicted <strong>of</strong> sexualassault and began serv<strong>in</strong>g a 25-yearprison term. Eleven years later, <strong>in</strong> <strong>1994</strong>at age 47, he was released.For 75% <strong>of</strong> the 9,691 sex <strong>of</strong>fenders,their <strong>1994</strong> release represents their firstrelease s<strong>in</strong>ce be<strong>in</strong>g sentenced for theirsex <strong>of</strong>fense. The rema<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g 25% hadpreviously served time under the samesentence, had been released, hadviolated one or more conditions <strong>of</strong> theirparole and, consequently, werereturned to prison to cont<strong>in</strong>ue serv<strong>in</strong>gtime still rema<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g on their sentence.Table 5. Prior crim<strong>in</strong>al record <strong>of</strong> sex <strong>of</strong>fenders released <strong>from</strong> prison <strong>in</strong> <strong>1994</strong>,by type <strong>of</strong> sex <strong>of</strong>fenderPrior to the sex crime for which imprisonedPercent with at least 1 prior arrest for — aAny crime78.5% 83.1% 76.3%Any sex <strong>of</strong>fense28.5 28.7 28.4<strong>Sex</strong> <strong>of</strong>fense aga<strong>in</strong>st a child10.3 5.7 12.5Prior arrests for any crime aMean4.5 5.04.2Median332Percent with at least 1 prior conviction for — aAny crime58.4% 62.9% 56.2%Any sex <strong>of</strong>fense13.9 14.6 13.5<strong>Sex</strong> <strong>of</strong>fense aga<strong>in</strong>st a child4.6 3.45.2Prior convictions for any crime aMean1.8 2.01.7Median111Percent with prior prison sentence for any crime a 23.7% 28% 21.6%Percent who were first releases b 74.9% 66.9% 78.7%AllRapists<strong>Sex</strong>ualassaultersTotal released9,6913,1156,576Note: The 9,691 sex <strong>of</strong>fenders were released <strong>in</strong> 15 States.a"Prior" does not <strong>in</strong>clude the arrest, conviction, or prison sentence that was the reasonthe sex <strong>of</strong>fenders were <strong>in</strong> prison <strong>in</strong> <strong>1994</strong>. Persons with no prior arrest or prior convictionswere coded zero and were <strong>in</strong>cluded <strong>in</strong> the calculations <strong>of</strong> mean and median priors. Calculation<strong>of</strong> prior convictions excluded Ohio, and calculation <strong>of</strong> prior prison sentences excluded Ohio andVirg<strong>in</strong>ia.bData on first releases are based on releases <strong>from</strong> 13 States. First releases <strong>in</strong>clude only those<strong>of</strong>fenders leav<strong>in</strong>g prison for the first time s<strong>in</strong>ce beg<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g their sentence. First releases excludethose who left prison <strong>in</strong> <strong>1994</strong> but who had previously been released under the same sentenceand had returned to prison for violat<strong>in</strong>g the conditions <strong>of</strong> release.<strong>Recidivism</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Sex</strong> Offenders <strong>Released</strong> <strong>from</strong> <strong>Prison</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>1994</strong> 11
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