NCJ Number
236166
Journal
Journal of Criminal Justice Volume: 39 Issue: 4 Dated: July/August 2011 Pages: 344-354
Date Published
July 2011
Length
11 pages
Annotation
This study examined a sample of adult sex offenders to determine the association between past offending and recidivism, and whether the timing of each particular crime affected the risk of recidivism.
Abstract
The study found that prior nonsexual-nonviolent and violent/sexual charges were associated with an increased risk of violent/sexual recidivism, especially for those offenders having previous violent/sexual charges between the ages of 18 to 35. The study also found that more recent criminal activity had the best predictive value for the prediction of recidivism, as opposed to the age at which the prior offending occurred, and that the level of educational achievement was a predictive factor for violent/sexual recidivism. This study examined a sample of adult sex offenders to determine the association between past offending and recidivism, and whether the timing of each particular crime affected the likelihood of recidivism. Data for the study were obtained from a sample (n=242) of adult offenders aged 36 and older convicted of, and incarcerated for a sexual offense in the province of Quebec, Canada, for the period April 1994 through June 2000. Older offenders were selected for the study to ensure a retrospective longitudinal period of equal length for all offenders in the sample, and to create an observation period long enough to compare past criminal involvement with criminal activity after release. The findings indicate that for older sex offenders, prior criminal charges occurring in early adulthood (ages 18 to 23) are no longer predictive of future offending as the offenders age, and that more recent offending increases the likelihood of recidivism. Implications for future research are discussed. Tables, notes, and references