Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Grand Challenges: Social Justice And The Need For Evidence-Based Sex Offender Registry Reform, Jill S. Levenson, Melissa Grady, George Leibowitz

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Sex offender registries, though popular, bring with them enormous fiscal costs and unintended consequences for offenders and communities. Consistent with the Grand Challenges, social workers can play a role in advocating for sex offender management policies that are better informed by evidence and thus a better use of resources. Registry reform would also moderate the stigma resulting from the sex offender label, and reduce barriers to offender reintegration. First, a brief history of registration laws and the research around their effectiveness will be provided, followed by a rationale for needed improvements in sex offender management policy. Finally, evidence-based recommendations for …