Washington State Institute for Public Policy (WSIPP) Content Topic Results

They conducted a systematic review of all research evidence throughout the United States and located nine rigorous evaluations. Seven of these studies address whether the laws influence 'specific' deterrence and the effect of a law on the recidivism rates of convicted sex offenders. The other two studies analyze 'general' deterrence and the effect of a law on sex offense rates of the general public, as well as recidivism rates of convicted sex offenders.

The Institute was contracted to evaluate the effectiveness of the Department of Corrections' 'Going Home Project.' The program was designed to transition younger, high-risk, violent offenders into the community. To date, not enough time has passed to conduct an outcome evaluation with a comparison group and 36-month follow-up. This interim report outlines the research design and provides 18-month recidivism rates for program participants.

This paper reviews policies and practices regarding assessment of sex offenders for risk of re-offense among public agencies and private treatment providers in Washington State. The authors found that a diverse set of instruments are employed by public and private entities in making decisions about sex offenders.

The Juvenile Rehabilitation Administration contracted with the Institute to determine whether a valid risk assessment for sexual reoffending could be developed using data from the sex offender domain of the Intensive Parole Supervision Assessment (IPSA).This report summarizes the findings.

As part of this evaluation, the Institute contracted in 1997 with the Social and Economic Sciences Research Center (SESRC) at Washington State University to conduct telephone interviews with a sample of Washington State residents regarding the community notification provisions of the Community Protection Act. In 2007, the Institute again contracted with SESRC to conduct a nearly identical survey and learn how responses may have changed.

Washington State's Community Notification Law: 15 Years of Change by the Washington State Institute for Public Policy (2006) In 1990, Washington became the first state to authorize the release of information regarding sex offenders to the public. Since then, the law has been amended numerous times to expand its application, increase uniformity across counties, and increase citizen access.

This paper focuses on three questions: Number of Persons Held Under SVP Laws, Number of Persons Released Under Some Form of Less Restrictive Alternative and SVP Program Costs.

Violent and sexual felony recidivism by sex offenders in Washington has decreased since passage of the 1997 statute. The causal link to notification laws is not proven by this research, but the drop in recidivism rates by sex offenders is clear, and the influence of community notification laws cannot be ruled out.

This report describes findings and analysis regarding the cost-effectiveness of research-based prevention and early intervention programs for youth with a demonstrated ability to achieve 7 outcomes: