Offenders are normally detained until the end of their sentence to protect society. It can be argued, however, that bypassing the usual gradual release program puts the community at greater risk because the offender is left to reintegrate without professional support. Empirical evidence does not indicate that gradual release decreases the risk of offender recidivism, but gradually lessening restraints and increasing the degree of offender reintegration into the community seem logical. Despite increasing public support for detention, many sex offenders receive statutory release after serving two-thirds of their sentence. Although many sex offenders may qualify for conditional release, the length of time between this release and the end of their sentence often does not give clinical staff enough time to adequately address their treatment needs. Although many sex offenders need long-term treatment, few sex offender treatment programs are available outside the correctional system. An example of a recidivist sex offender is presented to demonstrate the importance of continuing support after release to help offenders become law-abiding citizens. 6 notes