Community based Management for Sex Offenders in the US: An Evidence based Evaluation

Alissa R. Ackerman, Rich Furman

University of Washington, Tacoma, USA

Abstract:

The last two decades have witnessed the enactment of sex offense legislation aimed at decreasing recidivism and keeping communities safe from dangerous sex offenders. Research shows that, in most cases, current sex offender policy in the US does little to actually achieve this intended goal. The current article discusses the limitations of current policy, offers promising evidence-based alternatives, and then discusses these alternatives in the context of social work practice.

Keyword:

Sex offender, registration, community notification, The Good Lives Model, public health, risk assessment, social work practice.