Shame and Justice: Partners of Individuals on Sex Offender Registries Encourage Policy Reform

Authors

Kristan N. Russell, Prairie View A & M University
Katie M. Snider, University of Nevada-Reno
William P. Evans, University of Nevada-Reno
Shawn C. Marsh, University of Nevada-Reno

Abstract

Sex offense registration and notification (SORN) policies can contribute to stigma and negative consequences for partners of registered individuals. The present study utilized a self-report questionnaire to ask these partners what they would say to policymakers if given the opportunity. A thematic analysis of the responses revealed three themes which highlight the distinct issues related to registries, describe direct consequences experienced by the partners, and propose changes to existing policy. This study provides valuable insight into the experiences of a hard-to-reach population and can help generate critical discussion around the sweeping impacts SORN policies have on individuals they were not intended to reach. Implications for qualitative criminology and policy are discussed.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.

Recommended Citation

Russell, Kristan N.; Snider, Katie M.; Evans, William P.; and Marsh, Shawn C. (2022) "Shame and Justice: Partners of Individuals on Sex Offender Registries Encourage Policy Reform," Qualitative Criminology (QC): Vol. 11: No. 1, Article 4.
Available at: https://dc.swosu.edu/qc/vol11/iss1/4