|
from data on first releases (for
<br />example, percent of sentence served),
<br />Michigan was excluded from all tables
<br />based on first releases.
<br />Ana/ysis of statutory rape /aws
<br />The publication's analysis of statutory
<br />rape laws in the United States benefit-
<br />ted greatly from the report "Sexual
<br />Relationships Between Adult Males
<br />and Young Teen Girls: Exploring the
<br />Legal and Social Responses," by
<br />Sharon G. Elstein and Noy Davis,
<br />American Bar Association, Center on
<br />Children and the Law, October 1997.
<br />Samp/ing error
<br />In 1994 State prisons in 15 States
<br />released 302,309 prisoners altogether.
<br />A total of 38,624 were sampled for a
<br />recidivism study. Results of that study
<br />and information regarding sampling
<br />and other methodological details are
<br />available in the BJS publication Recidi-
<br />vism of Prisoners Released in Y994,
<br />NCJ 193427, June 2002.
<br />The 302,309 total released consisted
<br />of 10,546 released sex offenders plus
<br />291 ,763 released non-sex offenders.
<br />The 38,624 sample consisted of
<br />10,546 released sex offenders plus
<br />28,078 released non-sex offenders.
<br />The number of sex offenders in the
<br />sample was the same as the number it
<br />the 302,309 total because all sex
<br />offenders released in 1994 in the 15
<br />States were selected for the study, not
<br />a sample of them.
<br />Because no sampling was used to
<br />select sex offenders, numbers and
<br />percentages in this report for sex
<br />offenders were not subject to sampling
<br />error. However, comparisons in the
<br />report between sex offenders and
<br />non-sex offenders were subject to
<br />sampling error because sampling was
<br />used to select non-sex offenders.
<br />Where sex offenders were compared
<br />to all non-sex offenders released in
<br />1994, sampling error was taken into
<br />account. All differences discussed
<br />were statistically significant at the .O5
<br />level.
<br />Not all 10,546 sex offenders in the
<br />sample were used in the report. To be
<br />in the report, the sex offender had to
<br />be male and meet all 4 of the following
<br />criteria:
<br />1 . A RAP sheet on the prisoner was
<br />found in the State criminal history
<br />repository.
<br />2. The released prisoner was alive
<br />throughout the entire 3-year followup
<br />period. (This requirement resulted in 21
<br />sex offenders' being excluded.)
<br />3. The prisoner's sentence was greater
<br />than 1 year (missing sentences were
<br />treated as greater than 1 year).
<br />4. The State department of corrections
<br />that released the prisoner in 1994 did
<br />not designate him as any of the follow-
<br />ing release types: release to
<br />custody/detainer/warrant, absent
<br />without leave, escape, transfer, admin-
<br />istrative release, or release on appeal.
<br />A total of 9,691 released male sex
<br />offenders met the selection criteria.
<br />The number of them released in each
<br />State is shown in the appendix table.
<br />Other methodo/ogica/ details
<br />To help the reader understand the
<br />percentages provided in the report,
<br />both the numerator and denominator
<br />were often given. In most cases, the
<br />reader could then reproduce the
<br />percentages. For example, the report
<br />indicates 38.6% (3,741) of the 9,691
<br />sex offenders were returned to prison.
<br />Appendix table. Number of sex
<br />offenders released from State prisons
<br />in 1994 and number selected for this
<br />report, by State
<br />Sex offenders
<br />released from
<br />prison in 1994
<br />Selectetl
<br />to be in
<br />State Total this report
<br />Total 10,546 9,691
<br />Arizona 156 122
<br />California 3,503 3,395
<br />Delaware 53 45
<br />Florida 1,053 965
<br />Illinois 775 710
<br />Maryland 277 243
<br />Michigan 477 444
<br />Minnesota 249 23s
<br />New Jersey 449 429
<br />New York 799 692
<br />North Carolina 508 441
<br />Ohio 824 606
<br />Oregon 452 408
<br />Texas 708 692
<br />Virginia 263 260
<br />Note: "Total released" includes both male and
<br />female sex offenders; "Total selected to be in
<br />this report" includes only male sex offentlers.
<br />Using the 3,741 and the 9,691 , the
<br />reader could exactly reproduce the
<br />results. However, the reader should be
<br />aware that in a few places, the calcu-
<br />lated percentages will differ slightly
<br />from the percentages found in the
<br />report. This is due to rounding. For
<br />example, 43.0%, or 4,163, of the 9,691
<br />sex offenders were rearrested;
<br />however, 4,163 / 9,691 is 42.96%,
<br />which was rounded to 43.0%.
<br />Offense definitions and other methodo-
<br />logical details are available in the BJS
<br />publication Recidivism of Prisoners
<br />Released in 1994, NCJ 193427, June
<br />2002.
<br />Recidivism of Sex Offenders Re/eased from Prison in Y994 39
<br />50A-91
|