COLUMBUS (AP) —A legislative report says one in five current Ohio prison inmates is behind bars now for a sex offense or was in the past.
The report released Wednesday says about 7,700 inmates are serving time for a sex offense, and an additional 2,415 inmates have a prior sex offense. The Department of Rehabilitation and Correction houses about 50,000 inmates. Full Article
Report
Profile of Sex Offenders in Ohio Prisons (2015)
What a poorly crafted and misleading article. 2415 had prior sex offenses. This equates to an approx. 4.8% recidivist rate. Does this 2415 include inmates with a prior sex offense but are currently in custody on technical parole violations, or are they in custody on a new sex offense, or are in custody on new offenses not involving sex? It would have been far more informative and illuminating if the author provided comparative data from some other states, as well as nationwide stats. I have not seen any studies that indicate that there is a recent rise in sexual offenses in Ohio or any other particular state, or nationwide. Are these Ohio numbers indicating a rise, decrease, or no change at all in that state? I strongly suspect this article is nothing more than the newspaper looking to sell more newspapers, instill fear in the largely un-informed public, and placate the police, prosecutors, correctional officers, prison brass and their respective unions, as well as hard-line politicians and other special interests.
Keep the faith, push back, educate, never quit.
If the headline for this article is true, that 1 in 5 Ohio inmates have been convicted of a sex offense, it is time for the State of Ohio and to address its prison-industrial complex. The only “saving grace” in this article is the realization that “sex offenders face a number of hurdles once released, including limits on where they can live and work, which hurts their ability to get a job and can lead to a return to prison”.
*confused* Is it 1 out of 5 ….or 1 out of 4 ?
Different news headlines are stating different figures.