TY - JOUR
T1 - The Sponsors of Sex Offender Bills Speak Up
T2 - Policy Makers' Perceptions of Sex Offenders, Sex Crimes, and Sex Offender Legislation
AU - Meloy, Michelle
AU - Curtis, Kristin
AU - Boatwright, Jessica
N1 - Copyright:
Copyright 2021 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2013/4
Y1 - 2013/4
N2 - In the first investigation of its kind, a national U.S. sample of state-level policy makers (N = 61) were interviewed about their perceptions of the sexual offenders in their state, their state's sex offender laws, and collateral consequences of these laws, among other efficacy questions. Respondents were selected nonrandomly, as policy makers who sponsored sex offender bills were deliberately targeted for inclusion in the study. It was presumed these respondents would be more knowledgeable about sex offenders and sex offender laws. Results indicated that most respondents were familiar with the sex offender legislation in their state, that most of the laws were drafted with hopes of increasing public safety, and that policy makers believed their laws were functioning as intended, although empirical data are lacking to support these latter claims. Despite a strong conviction that sex offender laws are necessary to control sexual recidivism, policy makers discussed numerous complications and potentially deleterious effects of their own laws.
AB - In the first investigation of its kind, a national U.S. sample of state-level policy makers (N = 61) were interviewed about their perceptions of the sexual offenders in their state, their state's sex offender laws, and collateral consequences of these laws, among other efficacy questions. Respondents were selected nonrandomly, as policy makers who sponsored sex offender bills were deliberately targeted for inclusion in the study. It was presumed these respondents would be more knowledgeable about sex offenders and sex offender laws. Results indicated that most respondents were familiar with the sex offender legislation in their state, that most of the laws were drafted with hopes of increasing public safety, and that policy makers believed their laws were functioning as intended, although empirical data are lacking to support these latter claims. Despite a strong conviction that sex offender laws are necessary to control sexual recidivism, policy makers discussed numerous complications and potentially deleterious effects of their own laws.
KW - community notification
KW - policy makers
KW - public safety
KW - residence restrictions
KW - sex offender legislation
KW - victims
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84875024107&partnerID=8YFLogxK
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U2 - 10.1177/0093854812455740
DO - 10.1177/0093854812455740
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84875024107
VL - 40
SP - 438
EP - 452
JO - Criminal Justice and Behavior
JF - Criminal Justice and Behavior
SN - 0093-8548
IS - 4
ER -