CJ 375 - Sex Offenders

What was the total number of sex offenders as of February 2024?

Total number of sex offenders as of Feb 2024: 688,799.

What is the false reporting range for sexual assaults?

False reporting range: 2% to 10%.

What percentage of sexual assaults are not reported?

63% of sexual assaults are not reported.

What percentage of child sexual abuse instances are registered?

12% of child sexual abuse instances are registered.

What percentage of offenders are male?

97% of the offenders are male.

What percentage of offenders are female?

3% of offenders are female.

What is the ratio of male to female sex offenders?

For every one female offender, there are 37 male offenders.

What are the special marks of sex offenders?

76% of them have tattoos; 22% have scars; 0.7% have birthmarks; 0.6% have moles; 0.4% have missing limbs.

In how many cases is the sex offender someone the victim knew?

In 8 out of 10 cases, the sex offender is someone the victim knew.

What is the racial breakdown of sex offenders?

75% of offenders are white; 26% are black; 0.5% are Asian American; 0.3% are unknown; 0.1% are American Indians or Alaskan Natives.

What is the most common age group for offenders in the U.S.?

The most common age group for offenders in the U.S. is 50-59, with a large portion being 40 to 70.

What percentage of offenders used weapons during sexual assault?

11% of offenders used weapons for sexual assault.

Which states have the most sex offenders?

Oregon has the most sex offenders, followed by Arkansas, Delaware, Michigan, Wisconsin, South Dakota, Wyoming, Kansas, Tennessee.

How did the number of sex offenders change from 2019 to 2024?

2019: 752,167 sex offenders; 2021: 780,407; 2022: 767,023; 2023: 786,838; 2024: 795,066.

What is the average number of sexual attacks by race of victim per year?

All: 300,000; White: 200,000; Black: under 50,000; Other: under 50,000; Hispanic: 50,000.

What are the statuses of sex offenders?

69.6%: Released - subject to registration; 17.3%: Supervised; 5.49%: Confinement; 2.8%: Absconded - mental health issues; 2%: Deceased; 2.05%: Supervised - U.S. probation; 0.06%: Supervised - juvenile justice; 0.52%: Civil confinement - sent to rehab facilities; Depart: 0.08%.

What is the nine-year recidivism rate by offense category?

Property: mid to 90%; Drugs: below 85%; Public orders: below 84%; All violent crime: around 87%; Rape/sexual assault: 68ish.

What do historians and criminologists argue about regarding sex crimes, and what does archival data show?

Historians and criminologists argue about the relationship between ideas about sex crimes and their impact on policy and practice; archival data show that appropriate solutions have remained largely the same.

What has the public long believed about sex offenders?

The public has long believed that sex offenders exhibit moral degeneracy and compulsive sickness, necessitating preventative detention.

How has public belief influenced attitudes toward the treatment of sex offenders?

While brief spurts of interest in treatment appeared in the 1960s, the general public believes that sex offender treatment is pointless.

What area of change involves the recognition of victims?

One area of change involves the recognition of victims.

What have social movements drawn attention to regarding sexual abuse victims?

Social movements have highlighted the tendency to discredit victims, particularly women and children.

What message was sent by the law and its agents during the 'bad old days'?

During the 'bad old days,' the law sent a message that sexual violence and offending were 'not so bad.'

How was professional discretion used regarding sexual offending?

Professional discretion was often used to divert some sexual offending entirely from the system.

What does the shameful legacy of the past create today?

It creates a particular salience in contemporary efforts to prosecute sex crimes and provide adequate punishment.

What efforts have been made to address the legacy of leaving victims unprotected?

Efforts have included improved training for police and prosecutors and collection of DNA evidence.

Are prosecutions for offenders who know their victims more or less likely?

Prosecutions for offenders who know their victims are less likely than for offenses by strangers.

How do sentences for non-stranger assailants compare to those for stranger perpetrators?

Sentences for non-stranger assailants remain shorter than for stranger perpetrators.

Are most sex offenders held accountable today?

Although most are not held accountable, those charged face much more stringent restrictions.

How has the category of dangerous sexual offenses changed today compared to the past?

Today, the category includes offenders who in previous generations would have been handled informally.

How were prosecutors' decisions in the 1960s influenced by civil commitment?

In the 1960s, prosecutors pleaded down to misdemeanors knowing offenders could be civilly committed.

What has happened to front-end discretion in handling sex offenders today?

Front-end discretion is now severely curtailed.

What role do mandated reporting laws play today?

Mandated reporting laws trigger law enforcement responses.

What impact do contemporary policies have on attorneys and judges regarding alternative sanctions?

Contemporary policies leave little room for attorneys and judges to support alternative sanctions.

How has the proportion of sex offenders changed in the prison system since the 1980s?

The proportion of sex offenders has increased, partly due to fascination with monstrous offenders.

What actions have lawmakers taken since the 1980s regarding convicted sex offenders?

Lawmakers have passed new laws and policies focusing on convicted sex offenders.

What are some examples of laws and policies focusing on sex offenders?

Examples include mandatory reporting of suspected child abuse and community notification of registered sex offenders.

How do sex offenses, particularly those against children, affect media coverage?

These offenses generate intense reactions observable in media coverage.

What is the general public opinion about serious and repeated sex-offending behavior?

Few people would disagree that it is a severe social problem requiring attention.

How is attention to sex offenses typically manifested?

In the form of legislation outlining sanctions aimed at keeping sex offenders supervised.

What are the intended aims of sex offender laws?

To prevent known sex offenders from committing further crimes and support victims.

How do the realities of sex offender laws often differ from their intended aims?

Realities often deviate due to irrational legislation without consideration of unintended consequences.

How has sex offender legislation shifted at the municipal, state, and federal levels?

Legislation has shifted to a one-size-fits-all policy of strict supervision.

What justifies the intensive supervision of sex offenders today?

Intensive supervision is justified through high-profile cases where offenders committed new offenses.

What role does public outcry play in sex offender legislation?

Public horror and outcry from tragedies are cited in federal legislation.

Which state was the first to enact legislation regulating the management and supervision of sex offenders?

Washington was the first state to enact such legislation.

What cases led Washington to pass new laws about sex offender management?

Cases of sexual assault and homicide against children prompted new laws.

Who were the offenders involved in the Washington cases that spurred new legislation?

Wesly Dodd and Earl Shriner, both of whom had prior sex offenses.

What was notable about Wesly Dodd and Earl Shriner’s criminal histories?

Both offenders served sentences for prior offenses and planned new ones upon release.

What legislation did Washington pass in response to these cases?

The Community Protection Act of 1990 detailed policies for monitoring sex offenders.

When was the first federal law similar to Washington’s sex offender legislation enacted?

The first federal law of this kind was enacted in 1994.

What was the first federal law to require a statewide sex offender registration system?

Jacob Wetterling Crimes Against Children and Sexually Violent Offender Registration Act of 1994.

Who was Jacob Wetterling?

An 11-year-old boy abducted near his home in Minnesota in 1989.

How did Jacob’s mother, Patty Wetterling, contribute to sex offender legislation?

She fought for improved registration requirements and was appointed to a governor's task force.

What did the Jacob Wetterling Act require states to do?

It mandated states to allocate 10% of their law enforcement budget to establish a registration system.

What information did sex offenders have to provide under the Jacob Wetterling Act?

Sex offenders were required to provide their residential addresses.

Did the Jacob Wetterling Act differentiate between types of offenders?

No, it applied to all sex offenders equally.

What did Megan’s Law require in 1996?

It required registration information to be available to the public.

What is community notification?

Community notification is when registration information is shared with the public.

By what year did all 50 states have a public sex offender registry?

By the year 2000.

What procedures did Megan’s Law require states to have?

States must have procedures for disseminating information to citizens.

When is active community notification typically used?

It's usually reserved for offenders designated as high risk.

Is registration information available for all sex offenders, regardless of risk level?

Yes, it is available for all sex offenders, including juveniles.

What did the Pam Lechner Sexual Offender Tracking and Identification Act establish?

It established a national database maintained by the FBI for tracking sex offenders.

What happened to Pam Lychner?

She was violently assaulted by a repeat sex offender in 1996.

What advocacy group did Pam Lychner found?

‘Justice for All’, a victim’s rights advocacy group.

How did Pam Lychner die?

She died in the crash of TWA Flight 800 in 1996.

What did the Campus Sex Crimes Prevention Act of 2000 require?

It required registered sex offenders to report attendance or employment at higher education institutions.

What are registered sex offenders required to report under the CSCPA?

Their attendance or employment at any higher education institutions.

How can colleges and universities access sex offender information?

Through state registries and requests from law enforcement agencies.

What does the CSCPA say about admission or employment restrictions?

There are no restrictions on admission or employment for offenders.

How can institutions manage sex offenders under the CSCPA?

They can create policies to ensure student and employee safety.

What does the CSCPA Balancing Act emphasize?

It emphasizes protecting community while maintaining the rights of offenders.

What were civil commitment laws originally created to address?

To treat and incapacitate mentally ill sex offenders.

What was the alternative to prison under early civil commitment laws?

It was a belief that sexual offending could be cured as a psychological disorder.

Who was civil commitment originally designed to incapacitate?

Dangerous sex offenders like Albert Fish, and others including homosexuals.

When could a civilly committed offender be released?

Once deemed no longer a threat to self or others.

What challenges exist in assessing civilly committed offenders?

It's difficult to determine if someone has a mental illness or presents a danger.

What can happen to incarcerated sex offenders nearing the end of their sentence?

They could be transferred to a hospital for indefinite civil commitment.

What does Section 301 of the Adam Walsh Act provide for?

Grants to states to develop civil commitment programs for offenders.

By what year had 20 states and the federal government enacted new civil commitment laws?

By 2000.

What do civil commitment laws allow even after a sentence is served?

To keep sex offenders incapacitated even after serving their sentences.

What is the stated goal of civil commitment?

To provide treatment to sex offenders.

What did a California study find about civilly committed sex offenders and treatment?

Only 20% received treatment, despite it being a stated priority.

How does the cost of civil commitment compare to prison?

Civil commitment is more expensive, costing over $350 per day per offender.

What kinds of restrictions are sex offenders often subjected to?

Restrictions on residential, recreational, and employment choices.

What do local ordinances typically prohibit for sex offenders?

Prohibited from living a certain distance from schools and parks.

How can distance restrictions completely bar offenders from living in certain towns?

Distance restrictions may prevent living in towns if they are always near prohibited areas.

What was found in San Diego regarding housing for sex offenders?

Sex offenders could permissibly live in only 27% of the total housing space.

What challenges do advocates and policymakers face in reforming public policies on sexual offending?

Public pressures overshadow the use of empirical evidence.

How must reform efforts be framed to succeed?

Real advances addressing sexual violence must focus on specific issues.

What is an important strategy for reforming broad sex offense laws?

Differentiating resources to focus on truly dangerous offenders.

What is a common but incorrect public belief about sex offenders?

That all sex offenders are similar deviant offenders targeting strangers.

What does research say about sex offenders’ characteristics and behavior?

Research shows these beliefs are not true; offenders are not strictly specialists.

What is important to remember about the sex offenders typically studied in research?

They typically include only those caught or seeking treatment.

What was the purpose of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006?

To fill gaps and close loopholes in previous Acts.

What is Title I of the Adam Walsh Act and what does it require?

It requires sex offenders to provide more information, including vehicle details.

What biological sample does SORNA require from all registered sex offenders?

DNA samples must be taken and kept on file.

How do communities stay informed about sex offenses according to SORNA?

Through registration and notification laws.

What must convicted sex offenders do after leaving jail or prison according to SORNA?

They must register with local law enforcement.