I recall answering the same question before on the-site-that-shall-remain-nameless and prefacing it the same way I will preface this answer; I beleive that this question will receive more answers based on emotion and a desire for retribution than on logic, reason, or anything rational.
/me dons asbestos suit…. and some Kevlar after what happened last time
I believe that pedophiles can be reformed, but our society places such a stigma on them that they really have no reason to. If you had to tell the local sheriff where you lived when you moved in, had your name posted everywhere, were restricted in your choices of housing and jobs both by law and by prejudice, and had to endure all of the other hardships that a registered sex offender does, wouldn’t you want to enjoy yourself and then return to the (relative) safety of a prison cell, especially in this economy where not everyone has three hots and a cot and free medical care?
There are many people out there that have sexual fetishes that they dare not act upon and many more that may experiment but find it not worthwhile to indulge in again, possibly due to a fear of consequences. Unfortunately, once a pedophile acts once, they suffer the consequences regardless so they see no reason not to become a repeat offender.
In fact, this reaction is why some of the victims wind up dead; trying to hide the evidence! Who is Jessica Lunsford going to tell what happened to her if she were buried and hidden? Nobody, so therefore killing her after molesting her made sense (in a sick, twisted sort of way).
So in a way, the high rate of recidivism amongst pedophiles is the fault of our society. There are many other things that we are more tolerant of, and it is possible to reform any type of addict and keep them from satisfying their urges.
Now, I won’t claim that it’s always possible to do so. There are many alcoholics that won’t stop drinking no matter what, but there are also many alcoholics that acknowledge their weakness, modify their behavior accordingly, and thus never drink again. Sure, they are still alcoholics, but they control their urges.
Another thing is that the “pedophile” label is given out a little too freely due to an overzealous urge to protect our youth. An 18 year old boy having consensual sex with a 16 year old girl is a pedophile. If a girl under 18 gets in my face and I go to shove her away and touch her breasts in the process, that is sexual assault on a minor. See where I’m going here?
In short, I beleive that it is possible to reform at least some pedophiles and that not all of the people we call pedophiles truly are. We just have such a strong reaction to the issue that our judgment gets a little clouded.
Besides, if even ONE pedophile ever reforms, that is proof that it is possible and thus changes the question to one of success rates.