Predicting Sex Offender Recidivism: Using the Federal Post-conviction Risk Assessment Instrument to Assess the Likelihood of Recidivism Among Federal Sex Offenders

• In Event: Risk Assessment, Recidivism, and Reintegration Among Offenders and Ex-prisoners

Abstract

Sex offenses are among the crimes that provoke serious public concern. The federal response to the problem of sex offending has resulted in an exponential increase in the number of sex offenders on federal post-conviction supervision; however, relatively few studies have explored whether and how well the actuarial risk instrument currently used by federal probation officers – the federal Post Conviction Risk Assessment instrument – accurately predicts reoffending behavior among the federal sex offender population. This study provided an exploration of the PCRA’s capacity to effectively predict subsequent recidivism activity for convicted federal sex offenders. Results show that the PCRA accurately predicts recidivistic behavior involving the commission of any felony or misdemeanor offenses, violent offenses, and probation revocations for this population; however, the PCRA’s predicative capacities deteriorate when the instrument is used to assess the likelihood of sexual recidivism. The paper concludes by discussing policy and research implications

Author

• Thomas Cohen, Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts