[Sonny M]

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/

I went to the website, what specifically shows that sexual offences do not have the highest recidivism rate?

[AlexandriaDuke]

Sorry. I think this is the right page:

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/crimoff.htm#recidivism

And these are the figures:

Within 3 years of release, 2.5% of released rapists were rearrested for another rape, and 1.2% of those who had served time for homicide were arrested for a new homicide.

Sex offenders were less likely than non-sex offenders to be rearrested for any offense –– 43 percent of sex offenders versus 68 percent of non-sex offenders.

Sex offenders were about four times more likely than non-sex offenders to be arrested for another sex crime after their discharge from prison –– 5.3 percent of sex offenders versus 1.3 percent of non-sex offenders.

[AlexandriaDuke]

I missed one. This is the most relevant stat of all:

"Approximately 4,300 child molesters were released from prisons in 15 States in 1994. An estimated 3.3% of these 4,300 were rearrested for another sex crime against a child within 3 years of release from prison."

That's the exact opposite of what we always hear, isn't it? Yet no one ever wants to mention it, probably from fear of offending the lynch mob. Besides, there's no votes or TV ratings in telling people not to panic.