Recidivism rates of sexual offenders up to 7 years later does treatment matter? Article

Zgoba, KM, Simon, LMJ. (2005). Recidivism rates of sexual offenders up to 7 years later does treatment matter? . 30(2), 155-173. 10.1177/0734016805284146

cited authors

  • Zgoba, KM; Simon, LMJ

authors

abstract

  • This article critically reviews the evidence on sex offender treatment and subsequently provides new estimates on short-term recidivism among sexual offenders released from prison in New Jersey. The sample of male sex offenders is drawn from the Adult Diagnostic Treatment Center (ADTC), New Jersey's only sex-offender-specific prison, and the general population of nine prisons within the state of New Jersey. The ADTC sample receives treatment while incarcerated (n = 495), whereas no treatment is provided to the offenders in the general population sample (n = 223). Overall, 33% of the total sample (N= 718) commits a new offense. Of the total sample, 14% commits a new sexual offense and 24% commits a new nonsexual offense. Significant differences exist between the ADTC and the general population samples with respect to nonsexual reoffending only. In the final analysis, treatment appears to matter in terms of a reduction in recidivism but not in conventionally expected ways. © 2005 Georgia State University Research Foundation, Inc.

publication date

  • September 1, 2005

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

start page

  • 155

end page

  • 173

volume

  • 30

issue

  • 2