Canada: Despite no public sex offender registry, recidivism rate has dropped by nearly 70%
In the past, the Canadian government followed in the footsteps of its American counterpart by enacting “sex offender laws.” Since the 1990s, however, the Canadian criminal justice system has taken a different approach to the issue of sex offender recidivism (SOR), focusing on treatment, rehabilitation, and community risk management.
Over a two-year period, her research team surveyed the entire Canadian scientific literature on the subject. They reviewed 185 studies that had analyzed the recidivism rates of 226 groups of sex offenders across the country and over time, bringing the sample to 55,944 offenders.
The results showed that between 1940 and 1979, the weighted average recidivism rate was 23%, whereas today it is around 7%. Hence the drop to almost 70%.
The registry is all about control. It’s not about rehabilitation. Until you remove the for-profit system, nothing will change.
What they are seeing is the same as studies being done in the US;, recidivism rates in the 7-10% range. If two countries with completely different approaches are getting the same results, and one is not infringing on the rights of its citizens to do so, then how does the US justify its approach.
Unfortunately, there is to much political mileage left with the current arrangement and only a win at the supreme court level will have any large, lasting effect in getting rid of SORNA.
The registry is about control, money and having a group of people to look down on: the three American tenants. This mindset goes back to The Scarlet Letter, written in 1850 America, and even before….proof that we are not now, and have never been, a Christian nation. If we were, we would be practicing Jesus’ teachings, not three of the 7 deadly sins.
Wow… Leslie… so well put. Brief, solid, Lazer delivery of the cold hard truth. Great Job!
Also, I do believe there to have been a goal of the force behind the government to register all Americans. However, the citizens would never have it. Until… it became about registering the boogeyman. It seems to me the registry is the Trojan horse to set in place a system of registering to fulfill the original goal.
Well said!