Assessing Residency Restrictions Non-Compliance Rates at the County Level: Implications for Recidivism and Residential Stability

• In Event: Advances in Sex Offender Policy Research: Re-Entry and Reintegration II

Abstract

Although sex offender residency restrictions have become widely adopted across the United States, previous research has indicated that these policies have not been flawlessly implemented. Violation rates – the proportion of sex offenders living within restricted zones following implementation – have been observed to be in excess of 50 percent in particular states. Little is known regarding stable correlates of residency restriction non-compliance, and whether such non-compliance is indicative of reoffending or housing difficulties. The current research draws on data from a multi-state evaluation of sex offender residency restrictions to examine variation in residency restriction violation rates at the county-level. The association between county characteristics, violation rates, more serious recidivism, and residential stability will be assessed.

Authors

• Jason Rydberg, University of Massachusetts, Lowell

• Eric Grommon, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis

• Kimberly Kras, University of Missouri - St. Louis

• Breanne Pleggenkuhle, Southern Illinois University

• Beth Huebner, University of Missouri - St. Louis