Study from Australian Institute of Criminology finds Sex Offender Registries Do Not Work
A report from the Australian Institute of Criminology. which examined the public registry in the United States and the non-public registries in the UK and Western Australia came to the conclusion that registries are not effective in reducing recidivism.
Among other findings, the report highlighted some facts we already know:
- There is no significant difference in sex offense recidivism in the 4.5 year follow-up period for pre-Megan’s Law offenders and post-Megan’s Law.
- Sex Offender Registration and Notification did not prevent sexual offending in the general community.
- There is no difference in sex offense recidivism between offenders who registered and those who did not
- Being placed on a public sex offender registry can result in exclusion from a neighborhood or residence, job loss, anxiety and other psychological problems, all of which are counterproductive in terms of reducing re-offending.
- 95 percent of sexual offenses were committed by those without prior sexual assault convictions.
- There is a two to eight percent decrease in the sale prices of residential properties near a registered sexual offender’s residence, along with an 84 percent increase in the time residential properties spend on the market.
- Two-thirds of law enforcement surveyed, felt labor expenditure in managing the registry had become an issue of concern.
- Vigilantism
- 44 percent of registered sexual offenders reported experiencing threats or harassment by neighbors
- around 20 percent experienced threats or harassment in general.
- 16 percent of offenders reported that their family members or other cohabitants had been harassed, attacked or had property
damaged as a result of their registration. - 8 percent experiencing physical attacks
- 14 percent reporting some form of property damage.
The link to the complete study is below:
ti_what_impact_do_public_sex_offender_registries_have_on_community_safety_220518
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But seriously, staying on topic with these studies. How much sway do these actually have? What
I mean is, how much of an impact might this and other studies of this nature have with lawmakers when individuals such as the Books blatantly refuse to acknowledge them?
Didn’t Australia just recently vote in a sex offender registry? Is this a kick back?
It’s a good report, but where did the numbers come from?
Citations to the stats are in the report
It is being proven, study after study, that this registry does NOT work. Oh you have the “Ron & Lauren Book’s “Fear-mongering and slanderous, inciteful and hateful rhetoric aimed at “the Bad Man”; when all of the Books diatribe is nothing but a father who is full of guilt by putting his political career over the well being of his daughter. (can you say KARMA)
NOW, Mr. Book is trying to expand his failing political career at the expense of his daughter (again).
It has been proven, all over the world, that these draconian laws dont work.
When I told my “monthly check cop” yesterday about the talk about abolishing the registry, he was actually “PLEASED”. (he didnt know about any of the talk about it, the challenges in court– and he just found out, by me, about the 5 to 3 day residency restriction).
I have to feel blessed. My neighbors know about me, of me, and the way I was SET-UP for this crime. ALL of my neighbors trust me, including letting one of my neighbors kids (12 yo) come over and cut my lawn.
I do NOT want to make this sound like I am rubbing anyones nose in “look at what I can do–and you cant”; NO, that is not why I write. I want to be off this list just as bad as anyone here.
As I was talking to the cop, I started in with one of my coughing fits and almost passed out. He helped me into the house, and as he was leaving he said to my wife “he isnt a threat to anyone, not even himself”. He said he would keep me in his prayers……
FAC,
I know you can only work as fast as the courts allow; I dont have much time on this earth, please get us ALL off this list.
Amen … and don’t feel guilty for being Accepted!
Australians seem to actually value truth. I watched a show a few years ago about their prisons. Guards were encouraged to be friendly towards inmates because they found that it made for a more safe and peaceful environment. Then a few years ago after a mass shooting, Australians turned over their firearms to promote a safer country. They didn’t feed on the scare tactics of what would happen if they weren’t armed to protect themselves against imagined enemies. Truth has been devalued in America.
If only they hadn’t revoked all of their registered sex offenders’ passports and restricted them from foreign travel, I might have a bit more respect for that government.
Ray they actually had registrants arrested and convicted of sex tourism with minors where we have had none.
This is what we have all believed now presented in factual form by a recognized authority. The resultant provision is amazing although not a surprise to most of us. The question now is what do we do with this new found assistance? It will still take a lot of talking and arm twisting to get legislators to take action to remove said registries that they have come to depend on for votes in so many places. That to me is the supreme challenge.
So is anyone else waiting for a Ron Book type to claim that draconian residency restrictions actually serve to reduce the chance of vigilantism because the offenders are more isolated? 😉
They already know this Amnesty International said the same thing but they also see the registry as a Human Rights Violation but because we are not working in a sweatshops in Southeast Asia it’s easy to ignore
At least two major countries in the EU, Germany and Spain IIRC, have categorically declared lifetime SOR to be a human rights violation. The UK had a similar case decided based on EU treaties, etc, but that will likely go away with BREXIT. Of course, the UK still excludes folks like us probably based on the “catch all” provisions of their immigration law. Perhaps even the same ones that they used to exclude that crazy Dutch politician Geert Wilders (who was a sitting member of the Dutch House of Representatives) and loony tunes US radio personality Michael Savage. Clever. Use your own laws to get around your own laws. 😉