In: Psychology
identify the key components of federal laws regarding sex-offender registration.
In the United States, all the 50 states and the District of Columbia maintain registries of sex-offenders that are open to public via sex offender registration websites, with the exception of some registered sex offenders that are visible to law enforcement only. The information shared with the public include names, addresses, physical description and vehicles of the offenders. Furthermore, restrictions are also often placed on the offenders that restrict them from moving freely, working or living within certain exclusion zones.
Depending on the jurisdiction of the state, offenses requiring registration vary based on their severity. These can range from public urination to violent and predatory acts. The existing laws with respect to registration can target the wrong people, swaying attention away from high-risk sex offenders, while severely impacting lives of all registrants and their families along with any attempts to re-integrate to society.