A report from Australia essentially confirms what we already know…that public sex offender registries do not work.
Public sex offender registries designed to shutdown pedophiles and rapists will not stop recidivism, while a searchable database could see house prices in some neighbourhoods drop by up to 8 percent, claims a new report.
The Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC), in its May 20-page report, will add further fuel to an already divisive and controversial policing method.
Drawing battle lines over law and order, Victoria’s opposition party in February signalled their intent to establish a public register for serious adult offenders should they oust premier Daniel Anderson from power in November’s state election.
Victoria’s Leader of the Opposition Matthew Guy has said a public register will “protect Victorians from the worst of the worst”.
However, the AIC study concluded that public sex offender registries “may have a small general deterrent effect on first time offenders [but] they do not reduce recidivism”.
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