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Sex Offender Registration and Notification Laws
Introduction
Sex offender laws in the United States are very complex. Each state has their own
variations and definitions of what a sex offender is, what offenses require registration, and how
the public is notified. Policies regarding sex offenders are important to many people because of
the nature of the crimes and are often at the forefront of Americans’ minds.
According to Department of Justice statistics, in 1994 there were over 230,000 offenders
convicted of rape or sexual assault in custody, care, or under the control of corrections agencies.
More than half of those offenders were under conditional supervision within the community.
The average age of the victims of sexual assault was 13 years old, while rape victims were older,
with an average age of 22. Some of the offenders included in the statistics were on parole or
probation when they committed the crime for which they were in prison at the time; an estimated
24% of rapists and 19% of those convicted of sexual assault were recidivists. Another interesting
fact is that 60% of the child molesters released from prison in 1994 had victims thirteen years old
or younger (Bureau of Justice Statistics). These statistics may give an idea of why sex offender
laws are so important to so many people.
History of Sex Laws
In the past the United States did not have any specific sex offender registration laws, but it
Mallory Morrison CRJ470W MWF AM
did have many crimes regarding sex.
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