MULTIPLE STUDIES EXPOSE FRAUD
FRAUD: A.) deceit, trickery, or cheating. B.)Law Intentional deception to cause a person to give up property or some lawful right.
MULTIPLE STATE'S SEX OFFENDER RECIDIVISM STUDIES EXPOSE FRAUD UPON THE AMERICAN PUBLIC BY LAWMAKERS AND MAINSTREAM MEDIA
September 12, 2007
We’ve all heard the catch phrases: “ They cannot be cured”, “They have the highest recidivism rates out of any other type of criminal” and “Its only a matter of time before they re-offend again”
We hear these types of claims, stated as fact again and again by mainstream media and politicians. Indeed, even when lawmakers pass new laws pertaining to sex offenders these phrases are found again and again throughout the minutes of legislative hearings across the country. Numerous studies which have been bought and paid for by the American people tell a much different story however. In fact, these studies clearly demonstrate that the exact opposite is true.
Why are they all lying? The short answer: money, ratings and control. Fear has always been a great motivator throughout history to get people to submit to things they would not ordinarily submit to. The laws that have been created under the guise of protecting the public undoubtedly have a very chilling effect on the constitution and create a springboard for further abuses which will ultimately affect us all.
Instead of using the information contained in the studies-which may very well hold the key to making a significant reduction in the number of sex crimes, they create sound-bites and catch-phrases in an attempt to scare the public for votes, ratings, and corporate profit - all at the expense of our children. If the laws they have created were working (which they are not) Dru Sjodin, Jessica Lunsford, and Carlie Brucia would still be alive today.
Most if not all studies clearly define which sub-categories of offenders pose the most risk, make up the bulk of recidivism and pose the greatest danger to society. Yet, instead of focusing on this specific sub-group of offenders, and tailoring legislation and attention of those most dangerous, they lump everyone convicted of a sex crime together. As a result the American public is mistakenly led to believe that all are highly dangerous ticking time bombs. IF this were true, given the fact that there are over 600,000 registered sex offenders in this country, we could have a 24 hour news channel devoted to nothing but repeat sex offenders. The reason registered sex offenders who do commit another sex offense make the evening news is because it is RARE!
Lawmakers and the media are not only defrauding the American public, they are also effectively doing society and children a huge disservice - creating an unnecessary overblown climate of fear and anxiety, while continuing to put America’s children at risk.
Take a look at some of the findings from these studies. Links have been provided so that the studies can be viewed in their entirety. Pay close attention to the number of “new sex crimes” committed by registered sex offenders. This is quite different from technical violations and failure to register. We think most readers will be shocked at what these studies and statistics reveal.
The notion that most sex offences are committed by strangers, that sex offenders have high rates of recidivism, and that treatment does not work is NOT supported by the extensive and growing body of research regarding registered sex offenders.
Here is a glimpse of what these studies reveal, which proves that what is happening is the exact opposite of what the American people are repeatedly being told.
ARIZONA REPORTS A 5.5% RECIDIVISM RATE FOR A NEW SEX CRIME. THIS WAS A FIFTEEN YEAR STUDY DONE BETWEEN 1984 AND 1998
http://www.azcorrections.gov/adc/faq/recidivism.asp
WYOMING REPORTS RECIDIVISM RATES BETWEEN 2% AND 7.5%
THEIR STUDY COVERS A FIVE YEAR PERIOD BETWEEN 2000 AND 2005
http://legisweb.state.wy.us/PubResearch/2005/05RM078r.pdf
MINNESOTA REPORTS AFTER AN EIGHT YEAR FOLLOW UP A RECIDIVISM RATE OF 10%. THEY ARE CAREFUL TO NOTE WHICH CATEGORY OF OFFENDERS POSE THE HIGHEST RISK, THOSE BEING INDIVIDUALS WHOSE VICTIM WAS A STRANGER.
http://www.doc.state.mn.us/documents/04-07SexOffenderReport-Recidivism.pdf
OHIO REPORTS A RECIDIVISM RATE OF 8% AS A RESULT OF THEIR 10 YEAR STUDY. RAPISTS WITH ADULT VICTIMS WERE THE HIGHEST RISK WHILE THOSE CONVICTED OF INCEST WERE THE LOWEST RISK WITH A 7.4% RECIDIVISM RATE.
http://www.drc.state.oh.us/web/Reports/Ten_Year_Recidivism.pdf
To put things in perspective, DUI recidivism hovers around 50%. Given the high number of fatalities each year caused as a result of drunk driving accidents, for example, During 2005, 16,885 people in the U.S. died in alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes.This does not include victims who become permanantly disfigured and/or disbaled as a result of DUI related accidents. Many of them are children.
http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/factsheets/drving.htm
Additionally over 1,400 children die each year at the hands of their own parents due to abuse and neglect.
Sex crimes are a terrible social ill and there are ways to prevent them. The knowledge and information that is needed to make effective laws IS available and we need to demand that our lawmakers acknowledge this information and start using it effectively.
What kind of politician would lie, ignoring vital information and hard evidence that could effectively protect our children? Here are a few:
“Because of high recidivism rates, Congress can and must do more to ensure that offenders who could strike again are not roaming our streets,” Congresswoman Nita Lowey
"Studies have clearly shown that sexual predators have the highest recidivism rates," Senator Frank Padavan (R-C, Bellerose)
“With the high-rate of recidivism of sex offenders, the state must have the ability to provide additional rehabilitation to those who pose a threat to our communities," Senator John J. Flanagan.
“Studies show that sex offenders are four times more likely to be rearrested than other criminals.” Congressman Vito Fossella (R-NY13)
“Sex offenders are not petty criminals. They prey on our children like animals, and they will continue to do so unless we stop them. We need to change the way we track these pedophiles.” Former disgraced Republican Senator Mark Foley, FL
We know that the recidivism rate of convicted child molesters is extremely high. When many leave the penitentiary, they continue their ways against our greatest resource, children,” Ted Poe Representative Texas
“There are over 500,000 registered sex offenders across the country, and statistics have shown that the recidivism rate for those criminals is high.” Representative James f. Sensenbrenner(R) Wisconsin
"Recidivism rates are alarmingly high" for sexual offenders." Rep. Earl Pomeroy (D) of North Dakota
“Unlike other criminals, sex offenders pose a unique challenge to law enforcement and communities due to high recidivism rates.” Representative Anthony D. Weiner NY
UPDATE 09/14/2007
PATTY WETTERLING OF THE JACOB WETTERLING FOUNDATION SPEAKS OUT!
http://www.sacbee. com/110/story/ 377462.html
ST. JOSEPH, Minn. -- My son Jacob was kidnapped on Oct. 22, 1989. Neither his brother nor his friend saw the man's face. He was masked, he had a gun and he ordered them to run to the woods. By the time they looked back, Jacob was gone and so was the man. Since that day, I have been on a journey to find him and to stop this from ever happening to another child, another family.
But I'm worried that we're focusing so much energy on naming and shaming convicted sex offenders that we're not doing as much as we should to protect our children from other real threats.
Many states make former offenders register for life, restrict where they can live, and make their details known to the public. And yet the evidence suggests these laws may do more harm than good.
Jacob's Law was the first federal attempt to prevent convicted sex offenders from repeating their crimes after release. It was the outcome of my unwanted education in sexual violence against children.
Soon after Jacob was taken, I learned that sexual motives are usually behind child kidnapping. That was a thought totally out of my realm of consciousness. Who would do that? Who would sexually harm a child? As the search for Jacob went on, I asked law enforcement, what do you need? An investigator told me: A ready list of potential suspects, a central database of offenders convicted of sexual violence against children.
The Jacob Wetterling Crimes Against Children Sex Offender Registration Act was part of the 1994 Crime Bill signed by President Bill Clinton. Our goal was to give law enforcement a tool to help build safer communities. Back in 1990, when we first recommended registering convicted sex offenders, we were met with resistance: "You can't do that. These people have rights!" How times have changed. Few people today are concerned about the rights of sex offenders. Most now complain our laws are not tough enough.
But they might be missing some basic facts. First, in most states "sex offender" covers anyone, including juveniles, convicted of any sexual offense, including consensual teenage sex, public urination and other non-violent crimes. Second, Jacob was the exception, not the rule: more than 90 percent of sexual violence is committed by someone the child knows. And third, most shocking to me, sex offenders are less likely to re-offend than commonly thought. A Department of Justice study suggested ex-offenders have a recidivism rate of 3 percent to 5 percent within the first three years after release.
Another study found that, after 15 years, three out of four do not re-offend.
Shortly before Jacob's Law was passed, Megan Kanka was kidnapped, raped and murdered. Her parents felt it wasn't enough for law enforcement to know where sex offenders were: they thought we should all know. Maybe, if they'd known that there was a convicted sex offender living next door, their child would be alive today. Megan's Law was created to let people know when a violent offender was released into their community, so they could talk to their children and perhaps save another child from sexual violence. But the law has been expanded so that now anyone with an Internet connection can download details about almost any offender, whether or not they pose a risk, and whether or not they live nearby.
Are these policies working? Are our "get tough on sex offenders" laws having the desired effect? Human Rights Watch has taken on the challenge of looking at sex offender policy to see what parts are working and what aren't.
This week it published a 143-page report, "No Easy Answers: Sex Offender Laws in the United States." The researchers examined whether we are building safer communities with these laws, and what issues policy-makers should consider. HRW found that many laws may not prevent sexual attacks on children, but do lead to harassment, ostracism and even violence against former offenders. That makes it nearly impossible to rehabilitate those people and reintegrate them safely into their communities -- and that may actually increase the risk that they'll repeat their crime.
We need to keep sight of the goal: no more victims. We need to be realistic. Not all sex offenders are the same. Not all sex offenses are the same. We need to ask tougher questions: What can we do to help those who have offended so that they will not do it again? What are the social factors contributing to sexual violence and how can we turn things around? None of us want our loved ones to be victims of sexual violence. None of us want to be the parent or sibling or child of a sex offender. But since the vast majority of sexual assaults are committed by someone known to the family, sexual violence becomes personal very quickly. It affects all of us.
We need better answers. We need to fund prevention programs that stop sexual violence before it happens. We need to look at what can help those released from prison to succeed so that they don't victimize again -- and that probably means housing and jobs and treatment and community support. Given that current laws are extremely popular, taking truly effective measures may exact a high political price. But that's surely not too much to pay to prevent the kidnap, rape or murder of another child.
About the writer:
Patty Wetterling lives in St. Joseph, Minn. She and her husband are co-founders of the Jacob Wetterling Foundation, which works to prevent sexual violence against children. She wrote this for Human Rights Watch, 350 Fifth Avenue, 34th Floor, New York, N.Y. 10118-3299; Web site: www.hrw.org. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
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