Abstract
General public sentiment and anecdotal evidence suggests that sex offenders are highly recidivistic. Furthermore, these similar beliefs have influenced a series of recent policy and legislative changes targeting sex offenders. This study examined the impact of sex offender registration and notification (SORN) on sex offender recidivism among a cohort of Iowa prisoners released prior to SORN and a cohort of Iowa prisoners released post-SORN. Results from semiparametric group-based trajectory models demonstrated that both sex offender samples had similar trajectory groups, that is, one group of nonrecidivist sex offenders, another group of very low-rate sex recidivists, and a small high-rate group of sex recidivists. Study limitations and implications for sex offender registration and community notification systems are also discussed.
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Richard Tewksbury is a professor of justice administration at the University of Louisville. He is former editor of the American Journal of Criminal Justice and Justice Quarterly. His research focuses on issues of sex offender policies, criminal justice system actors' attitudes and responses to offenders and institutional corrections.
Elizabeth Ehrhardt Mustaine is a professor of sociology at the University of Central Florida. Her research centres on issues of sex offender policy, criminal justice scholars' professional attitudes and experiences, and officials' responses to child sexual abuse.
