Policy Panel: Advancing Evidence-Based Sex Offender Management: Policy and Research Perspectives

Session Submission Type: Complete Thematic Panel

Abstract

Amidst a growth in federal and state policies to expand social controls over sex offenders, many researchers have often lamented a perceived “disconnect” between prevailing policies and emerging evidence. Implicit in many of these critiques has been the assumption that the promotion of evidence-based sex offender management practice is uniformly overshadowed by the highly-charged political environment surrounding sex offender policies.

Yet despite this sentiment, several federal initiatives launched in recent years have successfully advanced the body of evidence surrounding sex offender management practice and tested the implementation of new solutions. Additionally, many state and local jurisdictions have effectively embraced evidence-based and promising policies and practices as part of their comprehensive sex offender management strategies.

This session will explore current initiatives to expand the base of policy-relevant sex offender management research and evaluation activity, with a particular focus on how those engaged in policy, practice, and research can build more effective collaborations. The session will include presentations and commentary from those engaged in federal and state policies, as well as researchers engaged in federally-funded projects.

Sub Unit

• Policy Panels

Division of Special Interest

• Divisions of Special Interest / Division on Corrections & Sentencing

Individual Presentations

• Promoting Effective Sex Offender Management: An Overview of OJP Initiatives - Scott Matson, U.S. Department of Justice

• State-Based Implementation of Evidence-Based Sex Offender Management Practice - Christopher Lobanov-Rostovsky, Colorado Department of Public Safety

• Promoting Effective Sex Offender Management: An Overview of NIJ Research Initiatives - Marie Garcia, National Institute of Justice; Andrew Harris, University of Massachusetts Lowell

Chair

• Andrew Harris, University of Massachusetts Lowell