Forty States have passed laws that require sex offenders to register with law enforcement agencies. Some States also allow communities to be notified of the identity or location of some sex offenders living in the area. Field research conducted as part of an NIJ-sponsored study revealed that issues related to such legislation range from the extent to which public safety is improved using these techniques to problems of resource allocation. The analysis concludes that registration laws are vital to the effective management of sex offenders in the community. Although supplementing registration laws with community notification may further enhance public safety, the use of community notification must be discretionary so that the police officer most closely involved with the case can develop a case-specific plan. Notification may work best when the offender's parole or probation officer is directly involved with the development and implementation of the plan. In addition, community notification laws should grant immunity to notification officials. Finally, police agencies required to notify must have adequate resources to do so. Footnotes and 9 references
Downloads
Similar Publications
- Face-to-Face Surveys in High Crime Areas: Balancing Respondent Cooperation and Interviewer Safety
- Emergency management information systems: Could decision makers be supported in choosing display formats?
- Police de-escalation training and its effects on communication: Evidence from an experimental evaluation