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SALT LAKE CITY — It all boils down to a lack of time this year.
The Utah Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice says addressing the 31% of prisoners incarcerated for sex crimes deserves its own study to reduce their recidivism, while boosting public safety.
“Sex offenders and violent offenders have different needs and have different risk levels,” Executive Director Ron Gordon said. “That’s why we treat them all differently.”
The commission devoted all of its time this year to the study of drug offenders in prison, and wants more of their crimes treated as misdemeanors to reduce prison overpopulation. The legislature could discuss this next year.
Gordon promises the same thoroughness for a second study regarding sex offenders, “to look at Utah data, to look at what the research says is most effective in protecting the public, and reducing recidivism at the same time," he said.
