Association of State Correctional Administrators Resolutions

2007 National:

Resolution #13 - Neighborhood Exclusion of Predatory Sex Offenders

• Whereas the release to the community of predatory sex offenders may create in the mind of the public fear and trepidation;
• And, whereas the responsibility of Correctional Administrators is to protect the safety of the public and insure the fair and humane treatment of offenders committed to our custody, and
• Whereas, often community fear of predatory sex offenders may lead to measures intended to protect the public by limiting the places where predatory sex offenders may live and where they may be, and
• Whereas, all sex offenders under the supervision of the criminal justice system should be managed according to their specific risk issues and based on the body of knowledge that has been developed regarding the effective treatment and supervision of sex offenders;
• Whereas, upon release the proper supervision and surveillance of predatory sex offenders by a professional community corrections agency is the best assurance of community safety, and
• Whereas, there is no evidence to support the efficacy of broadly applied residential restrictions on sex offenders, and
• Whereas statutory prohibitions on where predatory sex offenders may be and where they may reside may cause them to become lost to the supervision and surveillance of responsible authorities, and
• Whereas it is contrary to good public safety policy to create sex offender ghettoes, and
• Whereas it is contrary to good public safety policy to create disincentives for predatory sex offenders to cooperate with responsible community corrections agencies,

Now, therefore be it resolved that the Association of State Correctional Administrators calls upon all legislative bodies to take into consideration the unintended consequences of statutes intended to exclude these offenders from neighborhoods or locations and, further

Be it resolved that the Association of State Correctional Administrators supports legislation which is reasonably related to the ability of community corrections agencies to afford proper supervision and oversight to predatory sex offenders and which is practical, enforceable and likely to result in the protection from sexual predators of children and others in the community.

Adopted by the Association of State Correctional Administrators – May 25, 2007. ..Source..