Residential Clustering of Registered Sex Offenders

2005 Arizona:

A Study of Sex Offender Clustering in Phoenix, Arizona

In September 2005, Phoenix City Council, through the Phoenix Police Department, contracted with ASU's Center for Violence Prevention and Community Safety to conduct a multidimensional study examining potential problems associated with the clustering of sex offenders. The study involves examining four dimensions of sex offender clustering: 1) the nature and impact in time and space of sex offender clustering; 2) the offense patterns and trajectories of sex-offenders; 3) the social and psychological impact of sex offender clustering on neighborhood-residents, and 4) the impact of sex offender clusters on constituent sex offenders. ...Actual Studies... by Research Staff: Charles M. Katz, Ph.D. -and- Todd Armstrong -and- Vince Webb

Residence Restrictions and the Association With Registered Sex Offender Clustering

June 2012:

This study examined whether sex offender residence restriction policies were associated with the clustering of registered sex offender (RSO) residences in 3,056 upstate New York block groups. RSO clustering was measured as the average distance between an RSO and the five closest RSO neighbors, and was aggregated to the block group level.

Controls were included for structural characteristics of block groups as well as regional differences within the study area. Results indicate that block groups with relatively newer residence restrictions had decreased RSO clustering (i.e., RSOs living farther apart from each other) compared to block groups without such policies.

However, block groups that had residence restrictions for longer than about 2 years had similar RSO clustering levels to block groups without such policies. Results suggest a nonlinear relationship between how long a residence restriction is in place and RSO clustering levels. Implications for future research and policy are discussed. ..Source.. by Kelly M. Socia, Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology, University of Massachusetts, Lowell