Sex offender registration
Encyclopedia : S : SE : SEX : Sex offender registration
A Sex offender registration is a registry set up by some jurisdictions for sex offenders, in which is used for the state or province to keep in track of sex offenders activities and residence. Often the registry is public and can be viewed on the Internet, television, and newspaper.
History and Analysis
In 1990, Washington in the United States became the first state to require the registration and community notification of the release of sex offenders from incarceration. Later, in 1994, a federal statute based on a set of New Jersey Laws called "Megan's Laws" were enacted requiring notification and registration across the United States. Many jurisdictions have passed laws requiring sex offenders, especially child sex offenders, to register with the police. They report where they live when they leave prison or become convicted of a crime. This requirement is often in addition to the offender's legal sentence (punishment) and other restrictions, such as not allowing contact with children and not living within certain distances from schools, parks, stores, and stadiums. In most places sex offenders are subjected to an exit ban meaning they can't travel or leave a certain place at a certain time, most often the offender can't leave his/her hometown without permission from a probation officer. The exact provisions vary with each locality. The purpose of such registration and restrictions are to encourage the protection of children and society by increasing the awareness of the community about the recidivism risk that some offenders may present on release. Policy makers and the public who support this intervention also hope that community awareness will assist in preventing future sex offenses. Child molesters are often thought to be highly susceptible for recidivism, although broad recidivism rates for sex offenders are lower than most other types of crimes. In some localities, the lists of sex offenders are made available to the public: for example, through the internet. However, in other localities, the lists are not available to the general public but are known to the police. In the United States offenders are often classified in three categories, Level I offenders which are at low risk to reoffend. Level II offenders which are at moderate risk to reoffend, and Level III offenders which are at high risk to reoffend. Information is usually accessible related to that risk (more information for more risky offenders). There are penalties for failure to register as required.An example of such a registry is the Violent and Sex Offender Register in the United Kingdom.
Although female sex offenders are often sensationalised in news media, the vast majority of sex offenders registered are male. The vast majority of offenders also victimize individuals who are known, related or intimate to the victim -- contrary to media depictions of stranger assaults or child molesters who kidnap children unknown to them.
There are also laws -- usually called mandated reporting laws -- requiring in many cases certain professionals responsible for child care (teachers, school counselors, etc.) to report child abuse, which in some cases may be sexual abuse, to the authorities.
While sex offender registries are designed to protect and alert the public about the dangers of sex offenders, in at least one instance two convicted sex offenders were murdered after their information was made available over the internet.http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=1855771&page=1
Iowa
The State of Iowa has passed some of the hardest sex offender legislation in the United States. Under Iowa code 692A sex offenders are banned from living within 2,000 feet of schools and daycares, this essentially bans sex offenders from living in most cities and towns. In Does I, II & III v. Miller a federal judge from the southern district of Iowa held that the 2,000 foot rule is unconstitutional and violates an offender's right to substantive due process of the law and originally overturned the law citing the law retroactively imposes sanctions on sex offenders and their families (violating the ex post facto clause of the constitution). A year after the residency restrictions were found to be unconstitutional the ruling was reversed by the Iowa Court of Appeals, following the violent Jetseta Marie Gage child murder case the appeals court said the statute was legal in the name of public safety. In Iowa, months after the residency restrictions went in to effect there was a 200% increase in the number of sex offender registrants whose whereabouts were unconfirmed. Other sex offenders adjudicated for not registering or living too close to schools or daycares usually remain in the Iowa penal system for the remainder of their 10 years on the registry as most of the housing in Iowa is banned by the residency restrictions. Iowa law also requires teens who have been adjudicated "delinquent juveniles" (or sometimes children ages 0 - 13 adjudicated: "children in need of assistance") for sex crimes to register as sex offenders for ten years after discharge from their treatment.Canada
Canadian studies have shown approximately a 13.4% rate of recidivism.Hanson, R.K. (1997). "Predictors of sex offence recidivism." Research Summary. Ottawa: Solicitor General Canada.Michigan
Juveniles who have been charged with any CSC (criminal sexual conduct) charge need to report to a local post every 3 months for either 25 years or for the rest of their lives.#redirectReferences
From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License See Wikipedia Copyrights for details.