Perceptions of Punishment: How Registered Sex Offenders View Registries
Crime & Delinquency, Vol. 53, No. 3, 380-407 (2007)
http://cad.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/53/3/380
Richard Tewksbury ; Matthew B. Lees
"Sex offender registries (SORs) are a societal response to serious and presumably dangerous criminal offenders. The present research assesses the perceptions of registrants regarding the value of SORs as a tool to enhance community awareness and promote public safety. In addition, this study examines offenders' perceptions of the strengths and weaknesses of registry format and structure and suggestions for improvement. Results show that registrants see significant potential for registries but seriously question the efficacy and efficiency of how registries are currently constructed and used."