Division of Forensic Psychiatry, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons/New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA.
Law Hum Behav. 2011 Jun;35(3):235-46. doi: 10.1007/s10979-010-9235-3.
The efficacy of sex offender residence restriction laws in enhancing public safety is controversial and further complicated by evidence that adverse collateral effects may negate or even outweigh whatever benefits they achieve. Based on the theory of "distance decay" that postulates that offenders are more likely to recidivate closer to home, the statutes seek to distance offenders from potential child victims. However, to the extent that such statutes preclude residence in large portions of covered jurisdictions, it has been argued that they contribute to social instability, relegation of offenders to rural or undesirable locations, and even homelessness. A small number of studies have demonstrated the impact of restrictions on residential availability and compliance with the laws, but methodologic issues make it difficult to compare findings. This study uses parcel geocoding, a computerized mapping method, to examine the impact of the sex offender residency restrictions enacted in Erie and Schenectady Counties, NY. Identification and mapping of restricted locations revealed that in nonurban areas, available residential locations were drastically reduced by the restrictions (89.46% and 73.16% restricted in the two counties) and in urban areas almost completely eliminated (95.45% and 97.21%). Unexpectedly, however, when the registered sex offenders in each county were matched to their addresses in the state database, analysis revealed that residence restrictions had no demonstrable effect on where offenders live. More than 85% of offenders in each of the counties were found living in the urban centers, the vast majority of whom (91.89% and 100%) were matched to addresses in restricted locations. These findings may have important policy and procedural implications in the creation and enforcement of sex offender statutes, as well as in the evaluation of those presently in place.
性犯罪者居住限制法规在增强公共安全方面的效果存在争议，而且有证据表明，负面的附带影响可能会否定甚至超过其带来的任何好处，这使得情况进一步复杂化。基于“距离衰减”理论，该理论假设犯罪者在家附近再次犯罪的可能性更高，法规旨在使犯罪者远离潜在的儿童受害者。然而，由于这些法规禁止在大部分受限制的司法管辖区内居住，有人认为这会导致社会不稳定，将犯罪者驱逐到农村或不受欢迎的地方，甚至无家可归。少数研究已经表明了这些限制对居住可用性和法规遵守情况的影响，但方法学问题使得比较研究结果变得困难。本研究使用包裹地理编码（一种计算机化的地图绘制方法）来检验纽约州伊利县和斯克内克塔迪县颁布的性犯罪者居住限制法规的影响。受限地点的识别和绘制显示，在非城市地区，受限制的居住地点急剧减少（在两个县中，分别有 89.46%和 73.16%的地点受到限制），而在城市地区则几乎完全消除（在两个县中，分别有 95.45%和 97.21%的地点受到限制）。然而，出乎意料的是，当将每个县的登记性犯罪者与其在州数据库中的地址匹配时，分析显示居住限制对犯罪者的居住地点没有明显影响。在每个县中，超过 85%的犯罪者被发现居住在城市中心，其中绝大多数（分别为 91.89%和 100%）与受限地点的地址相匹配。这些发现可能对性犯罪者法规的制定和执行以及对现有法规的评估具有重要的政策和程序意义。
