Tracking information was collected for sex offenders who were arrested between January 1, 1987 and June 30, 1988. A group consisting of those arrested and convicted of aggravated assault during the same time period was used as a comparison group. A total of 645 offenders arrested on 961 sexual and aggravated assault charges were tracked from their arrest through court proceedings and incarceration where applicable. Over half of the charges were for aggravated assault, and less than 25 percent were for sexual contact or rape. Of the 961 charges, 568 charges against 477 offenders resulted in prosecution. Over half of the sexual contact charges, almost half of the rape charges, and about two-thirds of the aggravated assault charges were prosecuted. The processing time for aggravated assault was generally faster than for sexual assault. Rape offenders tended to receive the stiffest fines and the most jail time. More sexual contact offenders than rape offenders reported a history of sexual abuse, but no offender group rated high on self-esteem. Sexual contact offenders were older than rape and aggravated assault offenders, aggravated assault offenders had more alcohol problems than sex offenders, and emotional and employment problems were prevalent among all offenders. The victim/offender relationship in sexual assault offenses predominantly involved relatives or friends. Appendixes contain supplemental information on the sex offender project and the survey instruments. 62 endnotes, 73 references, tables, and figures.
South Dakota Sex Offender Project
NCJ Number
125797
Date Published
January 1991
Annotation
The South Dakota Statistical Analysis Center undertook a project to profile and track sex offenders as they progressed through the State's criminal justice system.
Abstract
Date Published: January 24, 1991