Does GPS Improve Recidivism among High Risk Sex Offenders? Outcomes for California’s GPS Pilot for High Risk Sex Offender Parolees

Abstract

The supervision and monitoring of sex offenders has been one of the most hotly contested areas in corrections policy in recent years. The public has called for greater levels of offender scrutiny as the result of heinous acts perpetrated by sex offenders, while critics point to recent legislation with onerous housing restrictions coupled with public censure that prevent many offenders from reentering successfully into society. The current study provides a test of the effectiveness of GPS monitoring for high risk sex offender parolees over and above surveillance and monitoring provided by specialized sex offender caseloads. Using data from a GPS pilot program, 94 high risk sex offenders monitored by GPS and 91 high risk sex offenders on specialized caseloads were followed for 12 months. GPS sex offenders were less likely to be found guilty of failing to register as non-GPS sex offenders and marginally less likely to abscond– reflecting relative success in meeting two goals of sex offender legislation- knowing where sex offenders are and making sure they are registered. Additionally, GPS offenders were less likely to be found guilty of committing a new criminal violation; however we observed no significant differences in the type of new crime violation.