Effectiveness of Sex Offender Registrations and Notification Policies: A Time-Series Analysis of Key Legislative Interventions

• In Event: Posters I

Abstract

Sex offender registration and notification laws were created to protect communities and increase community awareness of sexual offenders. Over time, amendments to these laws have been made in attempts to enhance public safety. This paper utilizes time-series analysis to examine the impact of several sex offender registration/notification laws on the numbers of sexual offenses in a large southwestern city, using data on the number of charged filed in court. Data include all cases filed in this court system from 1977 to 2012. Results for the impact of the implementation and subsequent revision of these laws are presented, as are the implications for policies targeting sexual offenders in the community.

Authors

• LaQuana Nicole Askew, Sam Houston State University

• Jeff Bouffard, Sam Houston State University