Public disclosure: Sex offenders' perceptions of the pilot scheme in England. Compliance, legitimacy and living a “Good Life”

Abstract

In 2008–09 four police forces in England piloted a scheme requiring disclosure of information about registered sex offenders (RSOs) to members of the public meeting certain eligibility criteria. Drawing upon data gathered during the evaluation of the pilot, this paper explores the offenders' perceptions of the scheme. In particular, the paper explores RSOs' perceptions of fairness and legitimacy of public disclosure and how these may impact upon their compliance. The RSO interviews also provided limited but informative evidence on the ways in which RSOs manage their lives in the community, and the potential for public disclosure to both hinder and reinforce the living of a “Good Life”.

Keywords:

• Community notification
• compliance
• desistance
• good lives
• perceptions of fairness and legitimacy
• public disclosure
• registered sex offenders

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the other members of the research team for their help and support. The views expressed here are entirely the authors’. Our thanks are also extended to the two anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments.

Notes

1. On 1 August 2010 the scheme was rolled-out to a further 18 forces, and will include all remaining forces by March 2011.

2. All offenders convicted or cautioned for a sexual offence against an adult or child or released from prison having served a sentence for such an offence since September 1997 in England and Wales is entered on the sex offenders register. They are a registered sex offender (RSO). RSOs are legally required to register with the police on an annual basis and provide information about a change of address or plans to travel. Offenders who receive a prison sentence of 30 months or longer are on the register for life. For those who receive shorter sentences, the requirement to register expires after a specified time-period.

3. Named after the eight-year-old Megan Kanka, who was abducted and murdered by a violent sex offender. For further information on Megan's Law see: www.apbnews.com/safetycenter/family/kanka/sooo/0328ol.htm (accessed 2 August 2010).

4. Based on those returned to the research team (discussed in Appendix 1 of the full report).

5. MAPPA coordinators are responsible for coordinating interagency cooperation in the community management of offenders.

6. MAPPA lay advisers are members of the public appointed to the Strategic Management Board in each MAPPA area.

7. At the time of the pilot, Area A had 491 RSOs in the community, Area B had 393, Area C had 1300 and Area D had 260.

8. A risk needs model is concerned with the management of risk, where the aim of rehabilitation is linked inextricably to the avoidance of future harm to victims and the community. Identifying and managing dynamic risk factors is seen to be paramount to reduce re-offending. Enhancements in offender wellbeing may be a secondary consequence of the risk management process, but are not viewed as a primary purpose.

9. The low volume of disclosures under the national roll-out has reflected the low volume under the pilot-information provided to the authors from the police national coordinator.