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Sex Offender Managment Policy in the States

The Council of State Governments, in partnership with the Association of Paroling Authorities International (APAI), the American Probation and Parole Association (APPA), and the Center for Sex Offender Management (CSOM), is working to provide educational opportunities to state lawmakers on innovative policy options for the management of sexual offenders. Through support from the Bureau of Justice Assistance, CSG is tracking trends in state sex offender laws; hosting national forums for state officials; and developing and disseminating educational materials on state sex offender policies.

 

About the Project

The Council of State Governments, through support from the U.S. Department of Justice, is working to provide educational opportunities to state lawmakers on innovative policy options for the management of sex offenders.
As of December 2009 more than 704,000 sex offenders are registered in the United States. And most convicted offenders live in the community under probation or parole supervision. The Center for Sex Offender Management reports that approximately 60 percent of convicted sex offenders are released under supervision in communities across the country—either directly after sentencing or following a period of incarceration. Experts estimate that as many as 100,000 convicted sex offenders, however, are lost in the system across the country, with law enforcement unable to find or track their whereabouts.
States are actively working to develop policy for the management of sex offenders. In the 2007–2008 legislative biennium, state legislatures considered at least 1,500 bills related to sex offenders; at least 275 of those bills became law.
Despite these efforts, however, policymakers are struggling to identify and implement effective policies and programs that address the myriad issues related to sex offenders and their crimes. Complex issues around sentencing, community supervision and re-entry of sex offenders remain critical challenges for state lawmakers.
Under this initiative, CSG, in partnership with the American Probation and Parole Association, Association of Paroling Authorities International and The Center for Sex Offender Management, is tracking trends in state sex offender laws, hosting national forums for state officials, and developing and disseminating educational materials on state policy options for the management of sex offenders.
This project is supported by Grant No.2006-WP-BX-K003, awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, and the Office for Victims of Crime. Points of view or opinions expressed are those of the presenter or author and do not represent the official opinion or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.

 

Sex Offender Management Project Reports

Throughout the course of this project, The Council of State Governments produced a series of policy briefs discussing issues related to sex offender management legislation.

 

Policy Meetings

CSG and its partners hosted two National Legislative Briefings on Sex Offender Management in the States. Each meeting focused on state policymakers, which included elected officials and legislators, key staff members, practitioners and national experts, and explored current and promising policies for the management of sexual offenders, identified critical implications of sex offender management policies for the states, and promoted multistate collaboration and cooperation on this critical issue.

 

National Policy Forum: Sex Offender Management in the States »
The Sheraton Hotel, Oklahoma City, Nov. 10, 2007
Agenda
Opening and Welcome
• Representative Joan Brady, South Carolina
• Representative Blake Oshiro, Hawaii
• Hon. Wayne Stenehjem, Attorney General of North Dakota
• Mr. Drew Molloy, U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance
Sex Offenders: Understanding a Diverse Population
• Dr. Kurt Bumby, Center for Sex Offender Management
• Mr. Robert McGrath, Vermont Treatment Program for Sexual Abusers
Managing Sex Offenders: A View from Law Enforcement
• Detective Robert Shilling, Seattle Police Department
The Interstate Commission for Adult Offender Supervision & Sex Offender Management: Raising the Bar of Accountability
• Mr. Robert Lee Guy, North Carolina Department of Correction
Plenary Luncheon
• Ms. Andrea Casanova, The ALLY Foundation
Exclusion Zones
• Secretary Roger Werholtz, Kansas Department of Corrections
• Mr. Justin Jones, Oklahoma Department of Corrections
Electronic Monitoring
• Mr. Kenny Holloway, Oklahoma Department of Corrections
Sex Offender Management Boards
• Mr. Christopher Lobanov-Rostovsky, Colorado Department of Public Safety
The Adam Walsh Act: Ohio’s Road Towards Compliance
• Mr. Greg Beswick, Office of the Ohio Attorney General
Looking Ahead: Sex Offender Management Policy in 2008 & Beyond
• Mr. Drew Molloy, U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance

 

National Legislative Briefing on Sex Offender Management Policy in the States »
The Peabody Hotel, Little Rock, Ark., Jan.27, 2007

The National Legislative Briefing on Sex Offender Management Policy in the States was a two-day policy meeting for state policymakers, practitioners and national experts to explore current and promising policies for the management of sexual offenders, identify critical implications of sex offender management policies for the states, and promote multistate collaboration and cooperation on this critical issue.

Agenda
Opening and Welcome
  1. Assemblyman Jeffrion Aubry, New York
  2. Mr. Ward Loyd, Kansas Criminal Justice Recodification, Rehabilitation & Restoration Committee
  3. Mr. Drew Molloy, U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance
Sex Offender 101: Understanding a Diverse Population
  1. Ms. Madeline Carter, Center for Sex Offender Management
  2. Mr. Robert McGrath, Vermont Treatment Center Program for Sexual Abusers
A Snapshot of Sex Offenders: Juveniles vs. Adults
  1. Dr. Judith Becker, University of Arizona
Plenary Luncheon: Keynote Speakers
  1. Ms. Laura Rogers, U.S. Department of Justice, SMART Office
  2. Ms. Patty Wetterling, Child Advocate
Sex Offender Management Policy: Understanding the Needs of Victims
  1. Ms. Elizabeth Barnhill, IowaCASA
  2. Ms. Gail Burns-Smith, National Alliance to End Sexual Violence
Legislative Trends: An Overview of State Sex Offender Laws
  1. Dr. Kurt Bumby, Center for Sex Offender Management
Exclusion Zones
  1. Mr. Tom Ferguson, Black Hawk County Attorney, Iowa
  2. Secretary Roger Werholtz, Kansas Department of Corrections
Electronic Monitoring of Offenders
  1. Mr. Matthew DeMichele, American Probation & Parole Association
  2. Ms. Judith Sachwald, Maryland Division of Parole and Probation
State Sex Offender Registries
  1. Ms. Randi Lanzafama, Virginia Department of Corrections
  2. Ms. Phyllis Shess, San Diego SAFE Task Force
Community Notification
  1. Detective Robert Shilling, Seattle Police Department
Managing Sex Offenders: The Challenge for Community Practioners
  1. Ms. Kim English, Colorado Department of Public Safety
  2. Ms. Randi Lanzafama, Virginia Department of Corrections
  3. Ms. Phyllis Shess, San Diego SAFE Task Force
Public Education: Promoting Community Awareness and Safety
  1. Ms. Maxine Stein, Stop It Now!
Looking Ahead: Sex Offender Management Policy in 2007 & Beyond
  1. Mr. Drew Molloy, U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance
  2. Ms. Carol Ivy, Up Your Image Consulting
 

 

Resources

 

Advisory Board

The Council of State Governments greatly appreciates the dedication of the following members of the Sex Offender Management Policy in the States project advisory board. Without their tireless work and steadfast commitment, the success of this project would be impossible.
Assemblyman Jeffrion Aubry
New York
Ms. Elizabeth Barnhill
IowaCASA
Dr. Judith Becker
University of Arizona
Ms. Madeline Carter
Center for Sex Offender Management
Mr. Matthew DeMichele
American Probation and Parole Association
Mr. Julius Dupree
Bureau of Justice Assistance
Mr. Dwight Holden
Delaware Board of Parole
Ms. Lisa Holley, Esq.
Rhode Island Parole Board
Mr. Ward Loyd
Former State Representative, Kansas
Mr. Andrew Molloy
Bureau of Justice Assistance
Mr. Carl Wicklund
American Probation and Parole Association