1st October 2012
This article is based on a presentation which was given to Members of the Northern Ireland Assembly earlier this year as part of the ‘Justice Series’ seminars established by NIACRO in 2010.
The article examines the various strategies which aim to effect safe community management of sexual offenders, as well as looking at the advantages and disadvantages of the scheme for sexual offender public disclosure, or ‘Sarah’s Law’ as it is more commonly known.
The author ultimately concludes that safe community management of these offenders is possible with the provision of appropriate programmes and effective monitoring. On the issue of public disclosure, she feels that while limited disclosure may provide a certain amount of extra safety, a more general public disclosure ‘may have a rather more limited take up and consequently lower levels of impact for costs involved.’
Respect for rights in the penal system with prison as a last resort.