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Policing registered sex offenders

Stephanie Kewley (Centre for Applied Criminology, Birmingham City University, Birmingham, UK)

The Journal of Forensic Practice

ISSN: 2050-8794

Article publication date: 13 November 2017

409

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to outline current police risk assessment and management practice when working with those convicted of sexual offences. The paper introduces the newly implemented Active Risk Management System (ARMS), a risk- and strengths-based tool used by the police across England and Wales.

Design/methodology/approach

A brief review of the literature and current practice is discussed.

Findings

The paper notes that in order for practitioners to work in a context of rehabilitation and reintegration, particularly one that supports clients convicted of sexual offending, there is a real need for practitioners to have the skills and experiences to work with this group. They also need to hold core values that support the notion of change and they ought to be fully supported through formal supervision and training.

Practical implications

Following are the practical implications of this paper: ∙training ought to be regular and ongoing; formal supervision sessions should be made available for all ARMS assessors; assessors ought to be assessed and observed in practice; and performance measures must be related to the quality and effectiveness of the design and implementation of risk management plans rather than the quantity of plans or home visits.

Originality/value

Very little has been written about this unique group of police practitioners who work to assess and manage people with sexual convictions. Even less is known of the effectiveness and applicability of the ARMS tool. Thus, this review is of value to academic and practitioner audiences.

Keywords

Citation

Kewley, S. (2017), "Policing registered sex offenders", The Journal of Forensic Practice, Vol. 19 No. 4, pp. 296-300. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFP-03-2017-0006

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2017, Emerald Publishing Limited

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