Sex Offender Laws: Failed Policies, New Directions

by Richard G. Wright

Overview

"This volume of readings provides an excellent source of information about sex offender laws and policies."--International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology

"Sex Offender Laws...is a good source for balanced, objective, and thorough critique of our current sex offender policies as well as a source for accurate information about a very heterogeneous population...The message that sexual abuse is often a multifaceted and complex issue and that policy based on quick fixes or knee jerk reactions do not often work will be informative and enlightening to many readers." --Sex Roles

"[T]his fine book by Richard Wright and his distinguished collaborators provides the evidence that wise policy-makers would want to consider. It covers every major field of research concerning sex offenders and sexual offenses and provides evidence of bad practices and policiesÖ.Intellectually honest politicians should read this book."
--Michael Tonry, LL.B,
Professor of Law and Public Policy
University of Minnesota Law School (From the Foreword)

In response to many high-profile cases of sexual assault, federal and state governments have placed a number of unique criminal sanctions on sex offenders. These include residency restrictions, exclusionary zones, electronic monitoring, and chemical castration. However, the majority of sex offender policies are not based on empirical evidence, nor have they demonstrated any significant reductions in offender recidivism. In fact, some of these policies have unintended consequences, which actually increase the likelihood of sexual offenses.

In this book, Wright critically analyzes existing policies, and assesses the most effective approaches in preventing sex offender recidivism. This provocative and timely book draws from the fields of criminal justice, law, forensic psychology, and social work to examine how current laws and policies are enacted and what to-date is known about their efficacy. The team of expert contributors includes Karen Terry, author of Sexual Offenses and Offenders, and others who bring a wealth of insight to the field of sex offense.

In response to the failed policies of sex offender laws, this book presents alternative models and approaches to sex offense laws and policies. Wright also explores critical, cutting-edge topics, such as internet sexual solicitation, the death penalty, and community responses to sex offense.

Key Features:

• An introduction and overview of the history of sex offender laws
• Analyzes the role of the media in sex offense and sex offender policies
• Examines the political "untouchability" of sex offender laws and their adverse effects
• Features interviews with victims of sexual assault, investigating their points of views on what kinds of reforms need to be made to sex offender laws

Thought-provoking and insightful, Sex Offender Laws serves as a vital resource for policy makers, researchers, and students of criminal justice, law, and social work.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780826111104
Publisher:	Springer Publishing Company
Publication date:	03/16/2009
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	552
File size:	8 MB

About the Author

Richard G. Wright is a nationally known expert on the issue of sexual offender laws. He has been a practitioner, researcher, scholar, public speaker and teacher on issues of sexual offending, federal crime control, racial inequality, and domestic violence for twenty years.

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chapter

Table of Contents

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Foreword

PART I - OVERVIEW

hapter 1 Introduction: The Failure of Sex Offender Policies
Richard G. Wright

Chapter 2 The Problem of Sexual Assault
Francis M. Williams

Chapter 3 A Brief History of Major Sex Offender Laws
Karen J. Terry&Alissa R. Ackerman

Chapter 4 The Politics of Sex Offender Policies: An Interview with Patricia Wetterling
Patricia Wetterling&Richard G. Wright

PART II - SEX OFFENDER POLICIES

Chapter 5 Internet Sex Stings
Richard G. Wright

Chapter 6 Mandatory HIV Testing
Cheryl Radeloff

Chapter 7 Sex Offender Registration and Community Notification
Lisa L. Sample&Mary K. Evans

Chapter 8 GPS Monitoring of Sex Offenders
Michelle L. Meloy&Shareda Coleman

Chapter 9 Sex Offender Residence Restrictions
Jill Levenson

Chapter 10 Chemical and Surgical Castration
Charles Scott, MD&Elena del Busto

Chapter 11 The Civil Commitment of Sexual Predators: A Policy Review
Andrew J. Harris

Chapter 12 The Death Penalty
Corey Rayburn Yung

PART III - MODELS AND APPROACHES

Chapter 13 Leaders in Sex Offender Research and Policy
Alissa R. Ackerman&Karen J. Terry

Chapter 14 The Containment Approach to Managing Sex Offenders
Kim English

Chapter 15 Sexual Violence and Restorative Justice
Jo-Ann Della Giustina

Chapter 16 The Impact of Sexual Offender Policies on Victims
Rachel Kate Bandy

Index"