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Sex offenses

Sex Offenders in the Community: Post-Release, Registration, Notification and Residency Restrictions

May 2010

The management of sexual offenders in the community post-release is an issue of increasing concern to law enforcement, policymakers and the public. In recent years, efforts to strengthen registration and notification have been enhanced. At the same time, comparatively little attention has been paid to related matters, such as how residency restrictions may impact offenders' efforts to find stable work and living arrangements once they are released from prison, whether rates of recidivism have changed, and whether these policies increase the safety of potential victims.

Sex-Related Offenses

Sex-related offenses are any crimes that have a sexual component. They may involve actual or threatened physical harm (e.g., sexual assault) or mental or emotional harm to a victim (e.g., child pornography).

NIJ supports projects that strive to understand and reduce the occurrence and impact of sex-related offenses. This includes describing the scope of these crimes, such as how and when they occur and their...