Socio-legal Analysis into State-Level Sex Offender Laws

Uncovering the process of sex offender law creation and implementation:

My research team and I examine and analyze the perspectives that policy makers and criminal justice practitioners have on their state’s sex offender laws.  This investigation is providing a national perspective into the intimate views and knowledge base that the creators of these laws –and those responsible for their implementation — have about sex offenders.   Our primary objective is to gain a better understanding of the human side of how sex offender laws are developed, modified and passed in the legislative process, and then ultimately implemented by criminal justice practitioners.  A secondary goal of the project is to uncover if scientific evidence – regarding sexual violence and sex offenders – impacts the legislative and implementation process.  We hope that this research, and other research  like it, can assist policy makers and applied practitioners about how to best facilitate reduction of sexual violence.

We also have research projects underway examining the following issues:
Predictors of sex offender law passage
Crime control efficacy of residence restriction and civil commitment
Sexual Victimization among disadvantaged populations
Community and justice resources for male rape victims and same-sex domestic violence