U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

Crime Mapping

Police Technology

Date Published
February 2011
Publication Type
Report (Study/Research)
Agencies
NIJ-Sponsored

Sex Offender Residency Restrictions: Implementation and Impact

July 2019

Numerous states and hundreds of municipalities have laws restricting the location of a convicted sex offender's residence. Little is known about the effectiveness of these restrictions. Do they keep children safer or give a false sense of safety? Some people suggest these laws are driven by media attention to a few cases. Others believe they are not grounded in research.