HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3272        FILED ON: 1/20/2017

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 3261

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Paul R. Heroux

_________________

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act relative to conducting study on sexual recidivism.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

Paul R. Heroux

2nd Bristol

1/20/2017

Kay Khan

11th Middlesex

2/3/2017

Denise Provost

27th Middlesex

2/3/2017


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3272        FILED ON: 1/20/2017

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 3261

By Mr. Heroux of Attleboro, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 3261) of Paul R. Heroux, Kay Khan and Denise Provost that the joint legislative committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security appoint an independent organization to study the rates of sexual recidivism of certain sex offenders.  Public Safety and Homeland Security.

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninetieth General Court
(2017-2018)

_______________

 

An Act relative to conducting study on sexual recidivism.

 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1.  Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary or any regulation, a study of the rates of sexual recidivism of Level 1, 2 and 3 offenders shall be conducted by an independent organization that shall be selected by the Legislative Joint Committee on Public Safety and Security to  help determine whether the current classification system is accurately classifying offenders.  The study shall provide general information on the sexual recidivism rates of classified sex offenders and shall include the type of sexual recidivism to determine the degree of dangerousness, which is part of the classification level.

The study shall examine five years sexual recidivism rates beginning with offenders classified in 2004.  Recidivism rates hall be measured by tabulating new sex offense charges by reviewing new CORI sex offense convictions.  In addition to recidivism rates by classification level, the study should include a) the age of the sex offenders who have recidivated to determine whether sex offenders in the Commonwealth follow the national trend of lower recidivism rates after age 40; b) recidivism rates of juveniles as compared to adults; c) recidivism rates of females as compared to adults; and incidence of noncontact offenders who recidivate by committing a contact sex offense.

A report on the results of the study shall be filed with the clerks of the Senate and House of Representatives on or before December 31, 2017.