A Systematic Analysis of Sex Offender Registration and Notification Systems in the United States

• In Event: Current Trends in Sex Offender Community Management

Abstract

Sex offender registration and notification (SORN) systems in the United States have evolved considerably over recent decades. Federal legislation has sought to instill greater uniformity across the nation’s SORN systems. However, state-based registries continue to exhibit considerable variation across many structural dimensions. To date, there has been no recent systematic assessment of SORN policies and procedures in the Unites States, and there is limited information on how state registry systems compare to one another. This presentation will feature results from a comprehensive nationwide inventory of state-based registry systems and characteristics, gathered from statutes and corroborated by state officials. The presentation will explore several key factors of variation across state SORN systems, including those related to juvenile registration, use of risk assessment and provisions for relief from registration. This project is intended to provide a complete inventory of registration policies across the country and inform potential policy changes by identifying best practices for SORN.

Authors

• Qurat Ann, University of Massachusetts, Lowell

• Andrew Harris, University of Massachusetts, Lowell