Among the diverse policies used worldwide to manage offenders convicted of sexual crimes in the community, sexual offender registries (SORs) are a common approach. SORs are databases of information pertaining to persons previously convicted of sexual offenses. The intention of SORs is to protect the public primarily by helping law enforcement monitor the whereabouts of identified sex offenders. In certain countries, information contained in these registries is also available to the public. Although SORs are generally developed in response to highly publicized and brutal sex crimes, there is little research evidence to support their efficacy, and there are also some documented challenges associated with SORs. This entry provides an overview of the purpose of and information contained in SORs, reviews the research on their efficacy ...

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