Discussion 1: Sex Offender Policy
The first national registry to identify sex offenders publicly appeared in the United States in 2005. Prior to this, individual states were maintaining their own sex offender registries, resulting in inconsistent levels of information among different states. Today, the Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Registry provides information on all registered sex offenders throughout the United States.

Like other aspects of criminal justice policy, criminal justice professionals can critique the appropriateness and effectiveness of the national sex offender registry. They can reflect upon the emphasis placed on the national sex offender registry versus the lack of demand for other national registries.  Criminal justice professionals may also explore justification for putting extended sanctions on sex offenders after they have served their time as well as the potential dangers of placing children on sex offender registries.

For this Discussion, review the Learning Resources and analyze the legal and ethical implications of sex offender registries. Review this week’s Learning Resources. Research other countries’ use of national sex offender registries. Consider the use of domestic and international public registries as a crime control policy.

Post your critique of the use of a national public sex offender registry as a crime control policy in the United States. Then, identify another country that employs a sex offender registry, and compare its requirements to the Dru Siodin National Sex Offender Registry. Finally, explain whether you believe the use of public registries is an effective crime control policy and why. Justify your response.

Required Resources
Readings
Wilson, J. Q., & Petersilia, J. (2011). Crime and public policy. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Chapter 12, “Sex Offenders and Sex Offender Policy” (pp. 345–367)

This chapter offers an overview of the behavior of sexual offenders and policies related to sexual offenses and explores the connection between the two. It presents a common rationale used to distinguish sex offenders from other criminals, explores whether research supports this rationale, and provides data on the methods by which sex offenders commit crimes. The chapter closes by addressing the impact of sex offender policies on sex crime and highlights effective efforts to reduce such crime.
Bardach, E., Patashnik, E. M.  (2016). A practical guide for policy analysis: The eightfold path to more effective problem solving (5th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: CQ Press.
Part 1, “The Eightfold Path” (pp. 18-27 only)

Review the section, “Step Three: Construct the Alternatives,” as you finalize your Policy Project.
Human Rights Watch. (2013). Raised on the registry: The irreparable harm of placing children on sex offender registries in the U.S. Retrieved from http://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/reports/us0513_ForUpload_1.pdf

The report argues for revision of U.S. policy for youth sex offenders. It highlights current policies regarding youth sex offenders, misconceptions on which current policies are based, and the negative impact of current policies regarding youth sex offenders and their families. The report closes with recommendations for revisions to current policies.
U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking. (n.d.). Dru Sjodin national sex offender registry. Retrieved from http://www.nsopr.gov/?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1

This website provides sex offender registry data by state as well as additional research and data on U.S. sexual offenses and related policy.
Document: Policy Project Overview (PDF)

This document provides an overview of the Policy Project along with detailed requirements for each phase.