Is It Time to Revisit Sex Offender Supervision for Life?
Author: William D. Burrell.
Source: Volume 29, Number 01, Spring/Summer 2016 , pp.15-18(4)
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Abstract:
Since the mid-1990s, the United States has seen a proliferation in the number and severity of so-called “Megan’s Laws,” some calling for the lifetime GPS monitoring of convicted sex offenders. The issue of protecting children from sex offenders is emotional and powerful. At some point, however, we need to test our assumptions and examine our practices. Are they achieving our goals? At what cost? There is mounting research evidence—and a growing body of case law—questioning the effectiveness many Megan’s Law provisions, including lifetime monitoring.Keywords: Sex Offender Registration; Community Notification Based On Risk Level; DNA Testing; Residence Restrictions; Enhanced Sentences; Post-Incarceration Civil Confinement And Probation/Parole Supervision For Life
Affiliations:
1: Consultant.