Families of SOs Community Group
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http://www.cato.org/blog/unintended-consequences-sex-offender-registries
Another really interesting article. Research is showing that once someone in a family or a circle of friends or neighbors is a registered sex offender it acts as a deterrence effect, meaning there is less sex crimes from those people. But it is only a deterrence effect to the people who are associated with the RSO:
"But the reduction is confined to friends and neighbors and has no effect on sex offenses against strangers."
Next thing the research is showing is that it public notification and how we treat sex offenders actually makes them more likely to recidivate:
"In contrast public notification deters those who are not already registered but increases recidivism among those who are. “… for a registry of average size, instituting a notification regime has the aggregate effect in these data of increasing the number of sex offenses by more than 1.57 percent, with all deterrence gains more than offset.” “… the more difficult, lonely, and unstable our laws make a registered sex offender’s life, the more likely he is to return to crime—and the less he has to lose by committing these new crimes.” “…if these laws impose significant burdens on a large share of former offenders, and if only a limited number of potential victims benefit from knowing who and where sex offenders are, then we should not be surprised to observe more recidivism under notification, with recidivism rates rising as notification expands.”
So basically it is showing while the registry has a deterrence effect on people who know an RSO it doesn't make up for the increased risk of recidivism from sex offenders that the registry causes. It's an overall net gain in sex offenses! How crazy is that?
The full article
http://object.cato.org/sites/cato.org/files/serials/files/regulation/2012/8/v35n2-1.pdf
Another really interesting article. Research is showing that once someone in a family or a circle of friends or neighbors is a registered sex offender it acts as a deterrence effect, meaning there is less sex crimes from those people. But it is only a deterrence effect to the people who are associated with the RSO:
"But the reduction is confined to friends and neighbors and has no effect on sex offenses against strangers."
Next thing the research is showing is that it public notification and how we treat sex offenders actually makes them more likely to recidivate:
"In contrast public notification deters those who are not already registered but increases recidivism among those who are. “… for a registry of average size, instituting a notification regime has the aggregate effect in these data of increasing the number of sex offenses by more than 1.57 percent, with all deterrence gains more than offset.” “… the more difficult, lonely, and unstable our laws make a registered sex offender’s life, the more likely he is to return to crime—and the less he has to lose by committing these new crimes.” “…if these laws impose significant burdens on a large share of former offenders, and if only a limited number of potential victims benefit from knowing who and where sex offenders are, then we should not be surprised to observe more recidivism under notification, with recidivism rates rising as notification expands.”
So basically it is showing while the registry has a deterrence effect on people who know an RSO it doesn't make up for the increased risk of recidivism from sex offenders that the registry causes. It's an overall net gain in sex offenses! How crazy is that?
The full article
http://object.cato.org/sites/cato.org/files/serials/files/regulation/2012/8/v35n2-1.pdf
It seems to me that when society just wants to focus on Monsters and throw away their lives and measure their "recidivism" we all miss the point and fail to consider this whole thing in broader context....and so long as the Punitive/ Haters approach reigns, who in their right mind would come forward and ask for "collateral" help before they were arrested?
Where the article does talk about recidivism is when it comes to RSOs. That the registry, and specifically notification can lead to increased recidivism of sex offenders. The increase in recidivism is more than the increased deterrence effect which means that the registry and public notification actually lead to a net gain in sex crimes. How insane is that? Our public policy actually creates more sex crime?!?
Sure, if EVERY criminal, no matter what, were hanged, drawn and quartered (look THAT up) in the public square it would certainly serve as a crime deterrent. Happy world.