Child Sex Offender Review (CSOR) Public Disclosure Pilots: A Process Evaluation

• NCJ Number: 230340
• Author(s): Hazel Kemshall; Jason Wood; Sue Westwood; Brian Stout; Bernadette Wilkinson; Gill Kelly; Gill Mackenzie
• Date Published: March 2010
• Length: 46 pages
• Sale Source: Great Britain Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United Kingdom
• Note: Research Report 32

Annotation

This study examined how successfully pilot programs initiated by four police forces in the United Kingdom provided information about child sex offenders to members of the public.

Abstract

The study found that 1) the number of inquiries and subsequent disclosure under the pilot programs was smaller than originally anticipated; 2) for those applicants interviewed for this study, most were largely satisfied with the pilot process; 3) most applicants understood the restrictions regarding disclosure of offender information and the need for confidentiality; 4) police and offender managers interviewed as part of the study believed that the disclosure process formalized what they found to be good practice in the area of child protection; and 5) of the small number of registered sex offenders interviewed for the study, most initially expressed anxiety about negative reactions from the community as a result of the potential disclosures. This research reports presents an overview and discussion of the operations of the disclosure pilot programs, an examination of disclosure applications, a discussion of the experiences and outcomes of the pilot programs, the perceived impact of the programs on registered sex offenders, a cost analysis of the pilot programs, and conclusions and recommendations for future work. Four appendixes provide details on the pilot methodology; cost analysis of the pilot programs; the pilot process decision tree; and a suggested training strategy. Tables and references