A sentencing alternative for sex offenders - A study of decision making and recidivism

Society has been uncertain about how best to respond to sex offenders. One policy option is a community supervision and treatment alternative such as the Special Sex Offender Sentencing Alternative (SSOSA) enacted in Washington State in 1984. This study examines variables associated with the sentenc...

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Bibliographic Details
Contributors: Milloy, Cheryl Darling (Other) ; Schram, Donna (Other) ; Miller, Lisa L. (Other)
Format: Electronic/Print Article
Language:English
Published: 1995
In: Journal of interpersonal violence
Online Access: Volltext (doi)
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Keywords:
Persönlichkeit
Sexualstraftäter
Sexueller Kindesmissbrauch
Description
Summary:Society has been uncertain about how best to respond to sex offenders. One policy option is a community supervision and treatment alternative such as the Special Sex Offender Sentencing Alternative (SSOSA) enacted in Washington State in 1984. This study examines variables associated with the sentencing decision and compares recidivism rates of offenders granted the alternative and those who received the standard punishment (N = 646 convicted adult sex offenders). It also reports the results of a survey of key professionals regarding the sentencing alternative. Recidivism rates of the two groups were equivalent for sex offenses, while recidivism rates for other crimes were significantly higher among offenders who did not receive the sentencing alternative. Overall, the results provide support for the availability of a sentencing alternative for certain sex offenders
ISSN:0886-2605
DOI:10.1177/088626095010004007