U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

Model State Sex-Offender Policy

NCJ Number
211439
Date Published
2003
Length
20 pages
Annotation
This report outlines recommendations from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) on the development of a State-level coordinated response to sex offenders.
Abstract
The more than 400,000 sexual offenders in our Nation pose a challenge for policymakers, especially because many of the perpetrators and victims of sexual assault in the United States are under the age of 18 years. More than one-third of all sexual assaults involve a child victim under the age of 12 years and approximately 40 percent of sexual assault offenders who victimize children under the age of 6 years are themselves juveniles under the age of 18 years. The NCMEC urges States to adopt a triage approach to the treatment and supervision of sex offenders. The triage concept involves developing a range of criminal justice responses to sex offenders that takes into account the severity of the crime, provides treatment to those amenable to treatment, and prioritizes post-release supervision and follow-up. Such a response hinges on the effective evaluation of sex offenders, particularly juveniles. Eight recommendations are provided for State-level policymakers on the development of a comprehensive criminal justice response to sex offenders that utilizes this triage strategy. The eight recommendations underscore the importance of sex offender evaluations, a sentencing structure allowing for a range of supervision and confinement levels, and the provision of treatment programs and community supervision. The key to the successful development and implementation of State-level responses to sex offenders hinges on the ability of States to coordinate an interagency approach to the treatment and supervision of offenders. Endnotes