Definition
- A multi-agency system to manage and rehabilitate child sex offenders to prevent their reoffending. This includes all types of child sex offences – both online and offline. The system covers:
- Direct supervision when in custody or prison
- Management of offenders in the community after their release from custody or prison
- The ongoing collection, analysis and sharing of intelligence relating to offenders, nationally and internationally.
- A national sex offender register (as defined by national legislation) to record an individual’s offences. This can be shared with appropriate agencies and assist the assessment of risk they may pose within the community.
- The provision of statutory tools (for example court orders) to help manage offenders in the community. These should allow tailored conditions or prohibitions to be imposed on an offender depending on the nature of the case.
Why is it needed?
- A system to manage and rehabilitate child sex offenders will limit their ability to cause further harm to children.
- It gives authorities a transparent and consistent framework through which they can manage the risk posed by child sex offenders in the community.
- It provides a mechanism for protecting children overseas from the risk posed by transnational child sex offenders.
- A national sex offender register ensures that relevant, accurate and up-to-date information is easily available to all authorised personnel. This enhances the ability of law enforcement and other appropriate organisations to monitor offenders’ activities effectively and share information efficiently and securely.
Good practice
- Direct supervision when in custody or prison:
- Offences are recorded and uploaded to a national central database
- Intelligence is shared with relevant authorities
- Offenders attend rehabilitation and education programmes whilst in custody.
- Management of offenders after their release: A dedicated, multi-agency approach is taken to manage offenders within the community, giving priority to those who pose the greatest level of risk of reoffending.
- Dedicated intelligence databases should be available that hold all data relating to an offender and the risk they pose. Records should be regularly updated and accessible to all appropriate agencies to monitor, risk assess and ensure compliance with release conditions for any offender.
- Agencies work together and share intelligence to manage offenders, in particular law enforcement and social services. This includes sharing information with international law enforcement partners when the offender attempts to travel outside their jurisdiction.
- Imposing conditions of release can be considered to manage any specific risks an offender poses to children, such as not allowing them to work with children or restricting their access to and contact with children, or imposing travel restrictions on offenders.
- A system of notification requirements and court orders that provide law enforcement agencies with the information and powers needed to protect children from the risk posed by child sex offenders in the community.