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 Updated:
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Current Developments_________________________________

Current Developments Outside New York__________________

Key Documents________________________________________

Special Reports_______________________________________

RESIDENCY RESTRICTIONS

This is a collection of significant news, articles and reports about the efficacy and impact of residency restrictions imposed on sex offenders. 

CIVIL CONFINEMENT
The confinement of some sex offenders to psychiatric facilities after completion of their prison sentences has prompted litigation and legislative action.

DEVELOPMENTS IN NEW YORK SEX OFFENDER LAWS
The state legislature and many localities are enacting or revising laws concerning sex offenders. The news items below highlight current activities at all levels of government across the state.

Reports______________________________________________

Consumption Of Internet Child Pornography And Violent And Sex Offending (BMC Psychiatry 2009)
Consuming child pornography alone is not a risk factor for committing hands-on sex offenses – at least not for those subjects who had never committed a hands-on sex offense. The majority of the investigated consumers had no previous convictions for hands-on sex offenses. For those offenders, the prognosis for hands-on sex offenses, as well as for recidivism with child pornography, is favorable.

Assessment Of Reoffense Risk In Adolescents Who Have Committed Sexual Offenses: Predictive Validity Of The ERASOR, PCL:YV, YLS/CMI, And Static-99 (Criminal Justice and Behavior 2009)

Clinicians are often asked to assess the likelihood that an adolescent who has committed a sexual offense will reoffend. However, there is limited research on the predictive validity of available assessment tools. To help address this gap, this study examined the ability of the Estimate of Risk of Adolescent Sexual Offense Recidivism (ERASOR), the Youth Level of Service/Case Management Inventory (YLS/CMI), the Psychopathy Checklist: Youth Version (PCL:YV), and the Static-99 to predict reoffending in a sample of 193 adolescents. Although the Static-99 has considerable support with adult sex offenders, it did not predict sexual or general reoffending in the present sample of adolescents.

Adam Walsh Act: A False Sense of Security Or An Effective Public Policy Initiative? (Criminal Justice Policy Review 2009)

With the enactment of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act (AWA), states are required to standardize their registration and community notification practices by categorizing sex offenders into three-tier levels in the interest of increasing public safety. No empirical research, however, has investigated whether implementation of the AWA is likely to increase public safety. Using a sample of registered sex offenders in New York State, the current study examined the effectiveness of the Adam Walsh-tier system to classify offenders by likelihood of recidivism. Results indicated that the AWA falls short of increasing public safety. In fact, registered sex offenders classified by AWA as Tier 1 (lowest risk) were rearrested for both nonsexual and sexual offenses more than sex offenders in Tier 2 (moderate risk) or Tier 3 (highest risk).

No Easy Answers: Sex Offender Laws in the US (HRW 2007)
Human Rights Watch conducted a nationwide survey of sex offender registration, community notification, and residency restriction laws and the results of their study revealed that "sex offender registration, community notification, and residency restriction laws are ill-considered, poorly crafted, and may cause more harm than good." (p. 3)

Suffolk County Homeless Sex Offender Report (2005)
This report focuses on the work of a task force created by the Suffolk County Department of Social Services (SCDSS) to investigate the issues surrounding placement of homeless sex offenders released from prison.

National Protocol for Sexual Assault Medical Forensic Examinations (DOJ 2004). These protocols offer guidance to criminal justice and health care practitioners who respond to the needs of sexual assault victims. It includes sections on forensics procedures, and preserving and collecting evidence. The guide was prepared by the US Department of Justice.

Recidivism of Sex Offenders Released From Prison in 1994 (BJS 2003). This report describes data on the rearrest, reconviction, and reimprisonment of nearly 10,000 male sex offenders in 15 states tracked for three years after being released from prison in 1994.

Rape and Sexual Assault: Reporting to Police and Medical Attention, 1992-2000 (BJS 2002). This report describes the effects of rape and sexual assault for female victims. It summarizes data on completed rape, attempted rape and sexual assault of females; and information on injuries, treatment and reports filed with law enforcement from 1992-2000.

Summary of State Sex Offender Registries, 2001 (BJS 2002). This an update of the 1998 Summary. It contains information on the status of sex offender registries in all 50 states.

Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) Programs (OVC 2001). "A SANE is a registered nurse (R.N.) who has advanced education and clinical preparation in forensic examination of sexual assault victims . . . . Those who work with sexual assault victims have long recognized that victims are often retraumatized when they come to hospital emergency departments for medical care and forensic evidence collection."
 

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