Living Arrangements for Sex Offenders in Ohio: Effects of Economics, Law, and Government Assistance Programs

• Published date: 01 November 2018
• Author: Shawn M. Rolfe,Karen F. Lahm,Richard Tewksbury
• Date: 01 November 2018
• DOI: 10.1177/0032885518793949
• Subject Matter: Articles

https://doi.org/10.1177/0032885518793949

The Prison Journal

2018, Vol. 98(5) 544 –559

© 2018 SAGE Publications

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DOI: 10.1177/0032885518793949

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Article

Living Arrangements for

Sex Offenders in Ohio:

Effects of Economics,

Law, and Government

Assistance Programs

Shawn M. Rolfe1, Richard Tewksbury1,

and Karen F. Lahm2

Abstract

Throughout the United States, Sex Offender Registration and Notification

(SORN) laws have created housing issues for registered sex offenders (RSOs).

As a result of SORN, many RSOs may need to rely on family members for their

housing needs. This study, drawing on data from 188 adult male RSOs in Ohio,

focused on two separate SORN laws (i.e., Megan’s Law and the Adam Walsh

Act). The findings suggest that neither law influences RSOs’ living with family

members. However, the results did conclude that an RSO’s income, receipt

of government assistance, or being on probation/parole predicted the odds of

living with family members. Policy implications of such findings are discussed.

Keywords

registered sex offenders, housing, Megan’s Law, Adam Walsh Act

Introduction

In an effort to prevent sexual violence, policymakers have implemented vari-

ous policies to ensure public safety. For example, one policy is to place

1University of Louisville, KY, USA

2Wright State University, Dayton, OH, USA

Corresponding Author:

Shawn M. Rolfe, Department of Criminal Justice, University of Louisville, 2301 S. 3rd Street,

Louisville, KY 40297, USA.

Email: shawn.rolfe@louisville.edu

793949TPJXXX10.1177/0032885518793949The Prison JournalRolfe et al.

research-article2018

Rolfe et al. 545

sexual offenders on a national, universally available, Internet-based public

registry known as the Sex Offender Registration and Notification (SORN). In

addition to SORN, many registered sex offenders (RSOs) are subjected to

residence restriction laws. This law forbids them from living in close proxim-

ity to schools, day care centers, playgrounds, parks and, occasionally, other

community venues (Neito & Jung, 2006). These types of laws have been

demonstrated to import serious and lasting negative consequences for regis-

trants (Burchfield & Mingus, 2008; Levenson & Cotter, 2005a, 2005b;

Tewksbury, 2005), creating obstacles for the successful reintegration of sex

offenders by limiting their options in housing, employment, social support

systems, and education (Levenson, D’Amora, & Hern, 2007; Tewksbury,

2005; Tewksbury & Levenson, 2009; Willis & Grace, 2009).

Throughout the literature, sex offenders’ housing obstacles have been well

documented (see Mustaine, Tewksbury, & Stengel, 2006; Ragusa-Salerno &

Zgoba, 2012; Tewksbury, Mustaine, & Rolfe, 2016). Previous studies have

also found that family members are treated similarly to the sex offender they

house (Conner, 2015; Farkas & Miller, 2007; Tewksbury & Levenson, 2009).

Yet very little research has addressed any specific association of sex offend-

ers living with family members. We assert that the Adam Walsh Act creates

more housing obstacles for RSOs than Megan’s Law because of its charged-

based tier system and lengthier registration requirements. Furthermore, very

few studies have examined the differences between these two laws. The pres-

ent study adds to our overall understanding of housing obstacles by specifi-

cally examining the association between sex offenders and living with family

members under SORN laws.

Background

The Jacob Wetterling Act (1994) was the first federal law to create sex

offender registries that required address verification procedures and policies.

In 1996, Megan’s Law further expanded the sex offender registry to include

community notification (via the Internet, mailers, fliers). All 50 states have

adopted some form of Megan’s Law and established their own SORN struc-

tures and processes. This law also includes provisions for how long sex

offenders must register based on the degree of threat they pose to the public.

And in 2006, the U.S. Congress approved a more stringent law with the Adam

Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act (AWA). This law was intended to, in

part, eliminate loopholes present in states’ classification and notification

schemes. It implemented a universal three-tiered system of identification

with specific guidelines. No longer would RSOs be assessed for a tier-level

designation based on his or her potential to re-offend. Instead, tier-level