First Name:
Emma
Last Name:
Willis
Major Department:
Criminal Justice
Thesis Director:
Barbara Zaitzow
Date of Thesis:
May 2012
Sex offenders and sex crimes incite a great deal of fear among the general public and as a result, lawmakers have passed a variety of social policies designed to protect community members from sexual victimization (Lees & Tewksbury, 2006). Legislative initiatives since the early 1990s have included sex offender registration, community notification, civil commitment, residence restrictions, enhanced sentencing guidelines, and electronic monitoring (LaFond, 2005). Such laws are popular with lawmakers and their constituents although little empirical research has established their effectiveness in preventing sexual violence or decreasing sex offense recidivism. The necessity to do something besides warehouse sex offenders in prison until they are released has led to the increasing realization that treatment programs must be offered to fill this need. The purpose of the present study is to explore the (1)treatment needs of incarcerated sexual offenders, (2)public perceptions about sex offenders, and (3)programs and policies that attempt to balance rehabilitation efforts with public safety concerns to achieve successful reintegration.