Running Head: SEX OFFENDERS 1

Sex Offenders

Name

Affiliation
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Sex Offenders

What might be some reasons why the government chose labelling and registration of

personal information for handling individuals that are convicted sex offenders?

The United States government chose this form of handling sex offenders because it

believed it was the most effective way of reducing the rapid increase in the number of sexual

violence crimes. For the past years, the problem of sexual violence has been increasing at every

fast rate. However according to reports from different States of America, the response to such

crimes in the criminal justice system is still not satisfying. Therefore, the government thought of

introducing labelling and registration of sex offenders as an effective way that can prevent the

ineffectiveness of the criminal justice system. Since registration of convicted sex offenders

involves provision of all information about sex offenders to the law enforcement agencies such

as their place of residence, employment status and other details, the government realized it would

be very easy to monitor the convicted sex offenders as well as simplifying police investigations.

Additionally, the government thought labelling and registration of sex offenders as the most

efficient way to ensure public safety. This is because the public gets to know the nature of person

they are living with and find means of stay away from him, (Schultz, 2014).

Are there other viable alternatives to the way the issue is currently handled?

Yes, there are other alternatives of handling the issue of sex offenders today such as

standard sentence. Some sex offenders` defendants prefer jailing of their clients instead of

registering them as sex offenders. Most defendants believe that registration of sex offenders was

designed for sexual predators who are not willing to control their urges in harassing children.

Therefore, the government could not develop any other form of handling them other than
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registration. But depending on the nature of the sex crime, different procedures can be taken on

sex offender crimes rather than registration and labelling, (Schultz, 2014).

What are some reasons an individual might be persecuted unfairly if they appear on this

list?

In case individuals appear on the sex offenders` list, they are persecuted unfairly in

different aspects. For example, several employers have been taking different action towards an

employee registered as a sex offender. In most cases, as soon as the employer gets to know about

the appearance of his or her employee`s name on the sex offenders` list, he or she immediately

terminates the employee. However, there are various legal requirements needed to be followed

by the employer before termination of the employee. These include, carrying out thorough

investigations about the conviction by reviewing the records of the court and working with the

legal counsel to evaluate the legal obligations, (Schultz, 2014).

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Reference

Schultz, C. (2014) . The Stigmatization of Individuals Convicted of Sex Offenses: Labeling

Theory and The Sex Offense Registry. Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science