Expert: Bruce Borkosky, Psy.D. - 4/8/2010

Question
Why do perpetrators who no longer appear to be a threat to society often eventually reoffend.

Answer
Hi, Barbara, thanks for your question. Not sure I understand you question, but I will do my best. If I don't answer, please feel free to asak f/o questions. People who have been adjudicated guilty (perpetrators, as you say) are not really determined to be a low or high threat, by psychologists. The vast majority of them are sentenced to jail/prison/probation, serve out their term (i.e, punished by society), and then are released. If they then offend again and are found guilty, they are again punished. Psychologists might evaluate some, prior to their being found guilty, to help the court decide whether they are even ABLE to be tried (perhaps they are retarded), and whether, at the time of the offense, they were insane. Psychologists might also evaluate a person, after they have been found guilty, to find reasons why their punishment should be less than average (called mitigating factors, or mitigation); whether they are a threat or not is usually not part of that. It is possible (and this is more true when sex offenders are being considered for civil committment), that a psychologist could offer testimony regarding the risk factors that might apply to an offender. However, such testimony would never state that an offender is 'no longer' a threat - it usually happens before a decision is made by the court. Lastly, there would be some cases, when sex offenders have been civilly committed, and have completed their treatment, that a psychologist might say they are 'no longer a threat'. However, those are civilly committed persons who had already finished their criminal sentences. Now- your question about "eventually reoffend". You probably know that not all offenders reoffend; just makes common sense (I say that because your question seems to infer that every offender does). Why do some reoffend? I think if someone ever had 'the anser' to that, they would quickly become a multi-trillionaire!!! There are several factors, of course - part of it is cultural (it's acceptable among certain people), identity (the offender thinks 'this is who I am'), the paucity of alternatives for many offenders (poverty, low IQ, low education, and many jobs are unavailable to ex-felons), addiction (which reduces impulse control and causes a greater need for money), etc. There is even some evidence of brain impairment among offenders (reducing thinking ability and impulse control). We as a society put a moral spin on it, and castigate offenders as 'bad people', which adds at least something to the mix (harder to change your life around when everyone else thinks your behavior is due to your character and not your choices). Finally, there is something to be said for choice; in the end, we all have free will, right? Hope that helps, Bruce