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John,
Today, The Sentencing Project released a new research brief, “Responding to Crimes of a Sexual Nature: What We Really Want Is No More Victims,” [[link removed]] examining misconceptions around crimes of a sexual nature (CSN) that contribute to the rise in imprisonment rates and the lengthening of sentences. The brief offers recommendations for reforming our responses to crimes in this category.
Sexual violence in America is a systemic social problem; but, government responses that favor excessive prison sentences fail to address the root causes of crimes of a sexual nature, nor do they repair harm. The misdirection of limited resources toward extreme punishments restricts resources that could go toward prevention.
According to the brief, policy changes enacted since the 1990s have subjected individuals convicted of CSN to not only increased use of incarceration but also longer sentences, disproportionately impacting people of color. While 70% of people arrested for rape and other sex offenses in 2020 were white, people of color were sentenced to prison at a rate that was two to three times higher than that of white individuals.
The brief highlights multiple findings about CSN:
*
CSN
recidivism
rates
are
low.
*
Many
individuals
convicted
of
CSN
have
experienced
high
levels
of
childhood
trauma
when
compared
to
the
general
population.
*
CSN
occur
mostly
among
people
who
know
each
other.
The report also provides a set of recommendations that hold individuals who commit CSN accountable, while advancing public safety, reflecting science-based research, and accounting for mitigating factors and an individual’s capacity for change. The suggestions include:
*
Prioritizing
investments
in
prevention
and
intervention
programming
that
works
to
reduce
CSN
and
treat
the
underlying
causes
of
CSN.
Relying
on
established
evidence
about
CSN
and
those
who
commit
it
to
inform
policy
responses
rather
than
fear-driven
misinformation.
*
Sanctions
should
not
be
“one
size
fits
all.”
This
category
of
crime
includes
a
broad
range
of
criminalized
behavior
such
as
consensual
sex
between
youth
to
forcible
rape.
Each
of
these
behaviors
carries
with
it
varying
levels
of
criminal
culpability
and
sentences
should
reflect
that.
*
Reform
efforts
to
create
a
fairer
criminal
legal
system
should
not
exclude
people
convicted
of
CSN.
CSN
should
not
be
carved
out
and
should
be
afforded
the
same
opportunities
for
sentencing
relief
as
other
offenses
when
lawmakers
consider
legislative
reforms.
READ REPORT [[link removed]]
[[link removed]] Kristen M. Budd, Ph.D.
Research Analyst
Email: [email protected] [[email protected]]
Donate [[link removed]]
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Washington, DC 20036
United States
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