NCJ Number
215972
Journal
Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health Volume: 16 Issue: 3 Dated: 2006 Pages: 146-154
Date Published
2006
Length
9 pages
Annotation
This study examined whether an actuarial assessment of risk for reoffending widely used in the West (Static-99) could be usefully applied to Japanese men sentenced to prison for sexual offenses.
Abstract
The Static-99 proved to be a useful assessment tool for determining Japanese sexual offenders' risk for reoffending. Japanese sex offenders rated as at high risk of reoffending were distinguished by some of the characteristics that would identify Western sex offenders at high risk of reoffending. History of institutionalization as a delinquent was a strong predictor of reoffending for both Western and Japanese male sex offenders. Although a young age of victims was a strong predictor of reoffending for Western sex offenders, this was not the case for the Japanese sex offenders. History of mental retardation was also a strong predictor of reoffending for the Japanese sex offenders. The authors advise that further work is required to test the Static-99's value in practice as a predictor of reoffending. All sex offenders incarcerated in Kitakyushu Medical Prison in Fukuoka, Japan at any time between July 1, 2002, and June 30, 2003, were included in the study (n=45). Demographic data, characteristics of offenses, and the Static-99 were rated from official records. The Static-99 is an actuarial instrument for assessing the long-term risk of reoffending. It consists of 10 objective static risk factors derived by combining 2 other scales: the Rapid Risk Assessment for Sexual Offense Recidivism tool and the Structured Anchored Clinical Judgment scale. Static-99 is sufficiently versatile to be applied to sex offenders with mental retardation and/or mental illness and has had some validation in cross-national studies. 3 tables and 24 references