Evidence-Based Practices
Sexual offense policies should be based on peer-reviewed research and validated practices, not myths and fear.
Policies Should Be Based on Evidence-Based Research & Practices
According to the National Institute of Corrections, “Evidence-based practice (EBP) is the objective, balanced, and responsible use of current research and the best available data to guide policy and practice decisions, such that consumer outcomes are improved.”
Current sexual offense policies are built on myths: that persons convicted of sexual offenses always re-offend, and that abuse is committed by strangers. These assumptions lead to policies that are ineffective at best and counterproductive at worst.
Myths vs. Evidence
People convicted of sexual offenses always re-offend.
Recidivism rates are among the lowest of any tracked crime classification. A Bureau of Justice Statistics 9-year follow-up found only 7.7% of those released for sexual offenses were rearrested for another sex offense — second only to homicide in lowest rearrest rates.
Sexual abuse is primarily committed by strangers.
93% of offenses against children are committed by someone known to the child — 59% by acquaintances and 34% by family members. Over 95% of sexual offense arrests involve first-time offenders not on any registry.
Public registries protect communities.
Three decades of research show registries do not reduce the incidence of sexual abuse. A 2021 meta-analysis of 25 years of findings covering 474,640 individuals found that sex offender registration and notification has no statistically significant impact on recidivism.
When individuals have access to stable housing, employment, and a support system, recidivism rates are greatly reduced. Federal research confirms that stable housing within the first month of release significantly lowers return-to-prison rates, and that residence restrictions undermine the very stability that prevents reoffending.
Colorado’s Containment Model
Colorado operates under a “containment model” for managing individuals convicted of sexual offenses, coordinated by the Sex Offender Management Board (SOMB) under CRS 16-11.7-103. This model brings together treatment providers, supervision officers, and polygraph examiners to manage individuals in the community.
- While the containment model incorporates some evidence-based principles, critics note it relies heavily on polygraph examinations — a tool whose accuracy is widely questioned by the scientific community.
- In 2021, HB 21-1280 reformed the SOMB to include more diverse stakeholder input — including survivors, individuals on the registry, and family members — a step toward ensuring treatment standards reflect both research and lived experience.
- Colorado’s SOMB data shows sexual re-offense rates of 3–5% for treatment completers, yet the Lifetime Supervision Act (CRS 18-1.3-1004) can keep individuals under supervision indefinitely — even when their risk has been substantially reduced.
Evidence-Based Treatment Programs
In the nearly three decades that sex offense registries have existed, experts have developed evidence-based treatment programs that prevent relapse and recidivism. These include:
- Road to Freedom — by Jill Levenson, Ph.D. & John Morin, Ph.D.
- The Good Lives Model — a strengths-based approach to rehabilitation
- Facing the Shadow — by Patrick Carnes, Ph.D.
Judges should have the discretion to make individualized assessments based on the circumstances of each case. Sentencing and registration requirements must not be a one-size-fits-all policy driven by fear-based myths rather than evidence.
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Demand Evidence-Based Policy
Colorado deserves policies built on research, not fear. Help us advocate for evidence-based reform.