I concur fully with the sex offender registry policy. Indeed, it is a known fact that the law must only give punishment commensurate to the weight of offences. In that breadth, one may argue convincingly that sexual offender registration and the consequential publication extends the punishment beyond the legal anticipation. However, this practice ought to be appreciated for its intentions which in my opinion are noble. It is in order for the public to be informed of the fact of one having engaged in sexual offences. This line of thought is premised on the fact that from a psychological point of view, sexual offenders are likely to repeat that action again. This is because sexual violence and offences are not necessarily informed by external conditions. Rather participation in sexual offences is informed by psychological imbalances and thought processes. In that vein, an argument to the extent that labeling reduces one’s willpower to keep away from crime does not hold as much water. Nothing could be further from the truth. A sexual offender in my opinion is dangerous and likely to repeat the same offence if and when the opportunity avails itself.
On that premise, it is the state’s responsibility to create a sense of awareness and undertake measures aimed at containing such persons. The sexual offender registration policies are overt steps towards achieving this state responsibility. In addition, one must appreciate the stakes at risk in sexual offences. It involves humanity and the psycho-social trauma that accompanies victims is often massive. In that context, the community and other stakeholders must pursue all options at their disposal intended for the prevention of the vice. Registration policies are such noble attempts at preventing the spread of the vice. In that context, I do fully concur with the argument in the paper.
References
Gelb, K. (2007). Recidivism of Sex Offenders. New York: Sentencing Advisory Council. Retrieved from http://www.sentencingcouncil.vic.gov.au/sites/sentencingcouncil.vic.gov.au/files/recidivism_of_sex_offenders_research_paper.pdf
Letourneau, E., Levenson, J., Armstrong, K., & Sinha, D. (2010). Evaluating the Effectiveness of Sex Offender Registration and Notification Policies for Reducing Sexual Violence against the Women. Washington D.C.: National Institute of Justice . Retrieved from https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/231989.pdf
