Sex Offender Risk Assessment: State-Level Policies for Determining Registration and Notification Requirements

To avoid a reduction in federal funding, the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) requires jurisdictions to classify offenders’ registration and notification requirements based on offense of conviction. However, some states use risk assessments—evaluations of an individual’s likelihood to reoffend—to determine aspects of offenders’ registration and notification requirements. Approaches taken by states using risk assessments to classify sex offenders vary significantly, as do the purposes of these assessments. Research shows that risk assessment policies and practices vary widely across states in both administration and application. Jurisdictions do not employ the same methodologies, risk factors, instruments, or classification processes.