Background of Sex Offender Registries

In the United States as a condition of parole sex offenders are typically required to register with law enforcement officials when released from prison. These officials notify the public of the offender’s release back into society and provide them with information such as the offenders address, and other personal information. Research indicates the notification system can have an adverse effect on the offender’s life, casting doubt on what the laws intended purpose to protect the public. This paper will explore the background of sex offender registries, the relationship between the sex offender notifications and registration laws and higher rates of recidivisms in the United States.

Introduction

Sex offender legislation has become a controversial topic in the recent years. There have been numerous laws enacted in response to sex offender crime. Do these laws really work to help minimize re-offending, or do they give the public a false sense of security and cause recidivism? In a several studies researchers found no evidence of sex offender registries being effective in increasing public safety. Some studies have found that requiring sex offenders to register with law enforcement may significantly may reduce chances of recidivism. However, the research also found that making registry information available to the public may back fire and lead to higher levels of overall sex crimes

Background

A sex offender is a person, male or female who has been convicted of a sex crime. The crimes that qualify as sex crimes can vary by state, but most include rape, forced and statutory, sexual assault or battery, sexual assault of a minor, child molestation, possession and productions of child pornography, or any attempt to commit these offense...

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... offend, the results show that knowing where an offender lives does not reveal much about where sex crimes, or other crimes, will take place, that result calls into question the rationale for creating registries in the first place.” The researcher concludes by stating registries do little to increase public safety.(Agan)

Both studies find that registries can reduce crime, but making the information available to the public can lead to higher rates of sex crimes.

Conclusion

Sex offenders have trouble reintegrating into society and are often harassed by those who become aware of their status. The sex offender management tool restricts where the offender can live and sets boundaries of how close they can be to children. Research has shown most of these restrictions are viewed as more of a stress to the offender and it is not clear how the public is ensured.