Recidivism and Violations Among Sexually Violent Persons on Supervised Release

Abstract

Several states allow for the civil commitment of individuals as sexually violent persons (SVPs) if they have a mental disorder that predisposes them to future sexual violence. Many SVPs are managed in secure inpatient settings. Some states also permit supervised release (SR) to the community if certain criteria are met. Public opposition to SVPs returning to the community is not uncommon given concerns about risk for sexual reoffending; however, there is limited research about the risk such individuals actually pose. The current study examined outcomes, including sexual recidivism and various types of technical violations, for 205 SVPs on SR in Wisconsin. Over approximately a 2.5-year follow-up, only 1.5% were charged with a sexual offense, though custody events for a violation of any type were relatively common (46.3%). Age predicted time to custody event, but other presumably relevant indicators, including actuarial risk scores and expert opinions regarding client suitability for SR per statutory criteria, did not. Implications for managing SVPs under community supervision settings are discussed.