NCJ Number
178938
Date Published
August 1999
Length
78 pages
Annotation
This report presents findings of two surveys conducted by the National Criminal Justice Association in the summer of 1998 to examine the implementation of sex offender registration and community notification laws in the States.
Abstract
The first survey explored the barriers to the implementation of such laws and the effects and implications of these provisions on offenders, victims, law enforcement, prosecution, defense attorneys, judges, probation and parole, public interest organizations, State legislators, and policymakers. The findings were intended to aid State and local criminal justice agencies in choosing registration and notification practices and methods to meet their needs as well as the requirements of Federal law. Promising practices and approaches include training and outreach to criminal justice personnel and others, sharing information among communities and States, up-front planning and interagency communication, and the use of a proactive approach. The second survey explored the fiscal policy implications of these laws, with emphasis on implementation efforts, the use of technology, the costs of implementations, and the use of specialized criminal justice professionals to implement the laws and community meetings to inform citizens of the presence of sex offenders in their communities. The surveys produced State-by-State information on sex offender registration, community notification, and implementation through the use of personnel and technology. Footnotes, charts, and appended list of participants in a focus group in August 1998