A new study published in the Journal of Offender Rehabilitation and which can be downloaded here: http://floridaactioncommittee.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/The-Experiences-of-Registered-Sex.pdf
examines the impact of online registries on offenders as well as the impact on public safety.
The study’s conclusion is copied and pasted below, but you can read the full study at the above link.
Several studies, including the current analysis, point to limitations in our
current SORN policies. In a time when fiscal responsibility is crucial to the
future of our economic well-being, policymakers would do well to create
evidence-based policies that reduce recidivism and use of law enforcement
resources. Unfortunately, with regard to SORN we may not be doing
either. The majority of states have refused to comply with the newest federal
RSO policy, as it creates more work for law enforcement without the
proper resources to carry out the mandates of the policy. Policymakers
and academics are aware that RSO policies are popular with the public.
Many feel that knowing where sex offenders are makes them safer, but the
goal of policy creation should be public safety, as opposed to public
mollification.
Current sex-offender legislation, intended to reduce sexual recidivism,
may actually be counterproductive. Specifically, notification adversely affects
all of the factors known to facilitate successful reintegration into society (i.e.
housing, employment, and social ties; Travis, 2005). Housing, according to
(Bradley, Richardson, Oliver, & Slayter, 2001, p. 1) is the “lynchpin that holds
the reintegration process together,” yet sex offenders face tremendous
obstacles with regards to housing options. Fear of harassment and vigilante
activity and feelings of isolation, stress, and hopelessness will not allow
registrants to secure strong social networks, a factor also known to assist
with successful reintegration into society (Loebner & Farrington, 1998, 2001).
Factors that help successful reintegration also decrease the likelihood of
recidivism (Travis, 2005). However, the adverse collateral consequences
associated with registration hold the ability to negatively impact the deterrent
effect of notification and therefore may pose a threat to public safety. More
research is needed to fully gauge the effectiveness of community notification;
however, current studies suggest that this legislation may not be creating safe
environments and the need for more generalizable research remains an
important piece of the SORN policy debate.
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