How States Aim to Stop Sex Offenders: Additional Sources and Resources
American Probation and Parole Association
This international association represents probation and parole practitioners, including line staff, supervisors and administrators in corrections systems, in both adult and juvenile sectors. It created a training curriculum for community corrections staff can use when supervising sex offenders.
Public relations contact: Diane Kincaid, dkincaid@csg.org; 859.244.8196 (KY)
Association for the Treatment of Sex Offenders
ATSA was founded to foster research, facilitate information exchange, further professional education and provide for the advancement of professional standards and practices in the field of sex offender evaluation and treatment. It has published a number of position papers relating to state policy and can connect reporters to treatment providers. Maia Christopher is executive director; Alisa Klein tracks state policy.
Contact: Alisa Klein, public policy consultant, aklein@atsa.com; 503.643.1023 (OR)
Center for Sex Offender Management (CSOM)
Although its federal funding ended in 2008, for 11 years CSOM produced reports, training and more on preventing sexual victimization and effective management of adult and juvenile sex offenders. Its publications remain online.
Department of Justice
Several DOJ offices have resources on criminal policies, sex offenders and related policies.
- Bureau of Justice Assistance Center for Program Evaluation and Performance Management has information on sex offender programs and strategies.
- Bureau of Justice Statistics publishes crime data and information, plus reports on topics such as sex offender registries, victimization studies and supervision trends.
- Federal Bureau of Investigation Innocent Images National Initiative is a multi-agency program investigating computer-based crimes of child pornography and sexual exploitation. A directory of field offices can be found here.
- National Institute of Justice has issued studies on sex offender policies such as residency restrictions and community notification.
- Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention tracks juvenile crime statistics, including rape and sexual assaults. Its topics page includes a link for sex offenses, and its "model programs" section lists evidence-based prevention and intervention programs.
- Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering and Tracking (SMART) was established under the 2006 Adam Walsh Act to support the national implementation of a comprehensive sex offender registration and notification system. Its FAQs section details registry (SORNA) background and state requirements.
- Office for Victims of Crime provides funding to state victim assistance and compensation programs. The agency supports trainings designed to educate criminal justice and allied professionals regarding the rights and needs of crime victims.
Jacob Wetterling Resource Center
The center offers information to help adults talk to their children about personal safety, among other topics. Executive Director Nancy Sabin consults with legislators and others about child safety issues.
Contact: Nancy Sabin, nsabin@jwrc.org; 651.714.4673 (MN)
International Association of Chiefs of Police
In partnership with the Department of Justice, the association works to support law enforcement executives and agencies in the management of sex offenders. Its efforts include preventing future victimization, educating the community, holding offenders accountable and increasing community safety.
Press contact: Meredith Mays, mays@theiacp.org; 703.836.6767, ext. 226 (VA)
Jill Levenson, Ph.D.
Levenson is a clinical social worker and professor at Florida's Lynn University who has researched the impact and effectiveness of sex offender registration, notification, residence restrictions and civil commitment, as well as sex offender treatment issues. Contact: Via her Web page.
Roxanne Lieb
Lieb is director of the Washington State Institute for Public Policy and a nationally recognized researcher on criminal justice policies. She has analyzed the use of risk assessment instruments to predict recidivism of sex offenders, public attitudes about community notification laws and more.
Contact: liebr@wsipp.wa.gov; 360.586.2768 (WA)
The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
NACDL is a professional bar association for criminal defense lawyers, public defenders and related legal staff. It tracks sex offender policies.
Contact: Jack King, director of communications, jack@nacdl.org; 202.872.8600, ext. 228 (DC)
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
The center has developed resources and material around the sexual exploitation of children, as well as ways to prevent rare child abductions.
Contact: Communications department; media@ncmec.org; 703.837.6111 (VA)
National District Attorneys Association
NDAA represents criminal prosecutors from every level of state government. Its National Center of Prosecution of Child Abuse provides training and resources to prosecutors and others on prosecuting crimes against children, including sexual assaults.
Contact: Suzanna Tiapula, director, National Center of Prosecution of Child Abuse; s.tiapula@ndaa.org
The National Governors Association
A bipartisan organization of the nation's governors, the association shares best practices and advocates on federal policy. Thomas MacLellan, program director of the Justice and Public Safety Program, follows sex offender management issues and wrote a 2008 brief on the subject.
Contact: Thomas MacLellan, tmaclellan@nga.org; 202.624.5427 (DC)
For additional resources on covering child sexual abuse and prevention, please see these Journalism Center pages:
Child Sexual Abuse: Additional Sources and Resources
Sexual Offenders Who Target Children: Additional Sources and Resources
