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Social Welfare Policy Analysis Paper
Essay Instructions:
Social Welfare
Policy Analysis Paper –
Topic: Washington State Sex Offender Sentencing
1. What was the historical context of the problem? Who identified this as a problem? (The poor, wealthy, powerful, religious, government, etc.) What was valued by the society of that time (care of the poor, power, wealth, etc.)? Support your answer.
2. Give a brief synopsis of programs that were developed historically to answer the problem and identify the consequences of these early programs/policies.
3. What historical ideology or belief influenced the “answer” to the problem?
4. Who benefited historically from the “answer” to the problem (consider all the “players”)?
5. Explain the policy as it currently stands. How has the policy changed since it was instituted? Are the changes influenced by changing political, economic, religious, educational or other ideologies? Provide support for your answer.
6. What are the goals and objectives of the current program/policy?
a. Who decided what these are?
7. What is the formal structure of the policy/program?
8. What are some of the “rules” of this policy/program?
a. Include how it was decided that one person or group may receive services and others may not.
b. Is the program available to everyone or only a select few? Why? How was that decided?
c. How does one become eligible to receive services from the policy/program??
9. How is the program financed?
10. Who administers the program? Is it administered by federal, state or local government, private enterprise, non-profit organizations, faith-based organizations or other entity? Is it a combination of administration levels?
11. Is this program institutional, developmental, selective or residual? What supports your interpretation? (Review the definition for these terms in your textbook.) Understanding Social Welfare, DolgoffISBN 0-205-67273-612.In terms of “cost-benefit” analysis, do you think this is an acceptable way to address this particular social welfare issue? Support your belief.
13. Who benefits from the program/policy as it now stands? Include intended and unintended beneficiaries
14. If you were all-powerful, how would you change this program to better answer the needs of the intended beneficiaries? Could you eliminate unintended beneficiaries or is there a “benefit” to society that would suffer?
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Date:Â
Washington State Sex Offended Sentencing: A Policy Analysis
"In the past, while the social welfare problem of having sex offenders was already recognized by the communities and states, the people did not strictly get criminal information and offender`s whereabouts was not made known to the public. Different acts were implemented in varying levels and only some states have it. Although necessaryinformation was gathered, it was still treated as something confidential and strictly for authorities use for tracking down the convicts who are repeat offenders, for investigations and for background checks on people working with children. Then as more dangerous and life threatening events take place laws were approved, more strict implementation was enforced and information regarding offenders and his whereabouts was now made known to the public." ADDIN Mendeley Citation{5c29c0d0-dee4-45e2-987a-f57607fc81a2} CSL_CITATION { "citationItems" : [ { "id" : "ITEM-1", "itemData" : { "author" : [ { "family" : "Logan", "given" : "Wayne A." } ], "container-title" : "OHIO STATE JOURNAL OF CRIMINAL LAW", "id" : "ITEM-1", "title" : "Criminal Justice Federalism and National Sex Offender Policy", "type" : "article-journal", "volume" : "OHIO STATE" }, "uris" : [ "/documents/?uuid=5c29c0d0-dee4-45e2-987a-f57607fc81a2" ] } ], "mendeley" : { "previouslyFormattedCitation" : "(Logan, n.d.)" }, "properties" : { "noteIndex" : 0 }, "schema" : "https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json" } (Logan, n.d.) Afterthese laws were set in place,rehabilitationof lawbreakers were designed and put into practice. Support people and programs were also establishedfor this purpose. The first people who recognized sex offenders as a social welfare problem are the people in the government. These people recognized the need for laws that respond to this social welfare problem and the urgency was interpreted through the series of unfortunate events related to this.The need to protect innocent citizens who were victims of sex offenders was also accepted. People feared that any of the citizens, their children or their neighbour could be the next victim of these convicts. So from this the law makers made an act and later a law to protect these people and up to the present to diminish a great number of these incidences.
One program developed as a response to the growing number of sex offenders is Washington`s sentencing Reform Act of 1981. Through this, guidelines for sentencing to be set by a commission were implemented. "Under the indeterminate sentencing scheme, an offender is offered treatment as part of a probation sentence. If the offender did not succeed or failed to cooperate, the court could impose a jail or prison term later. Since determinate sentencing is an up-front system, however, accommodating treatment meant carving out special rules for sex offenses."ADDIN Mendeley Citation{73e96159-ce55-47ac-9ac4-114326f135ff} CSL_CITATION { "citationItems" : [ { "id" : "ITEM-1", "itemData" : { "URL" : "http://heinonline.org", "accessed" : { "date-parts" : [ [ "2011", "12", "12" ] ] }, "author" : [ { "family" : "Matson", "given" : "Roxann Lieb and Scott" } ], "id" : "ITEM-1", "issued" : { "date-parts" : [ [ "1997" ] ] }, "title" : "Sex Offender Sentencing in Washington State", "type" : "webpage" }, "uris" : [ "/documents/?uuid=73e96159-ce55-47ac-9ac4-114326f135ff" ] } ], "mendeley" : { "previouslyFormattedCitation" : "(Matson, 1997)" }, "properties" : { "noteIndex" : 0 }, "schema" : "https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json" } (Matson, 1997)The Special Sex Offender Sentencing Alternative (SSOSA), was also established. Several criteria were set to determine eligibility of a person in this specific program. Aside from these, several scientific researches were also considered and reviewed to determine effectiveness of programs set to significantly decrease the incidence of sex offences and reoccurrence of these offences or what the studies calls ‘recidivism`. The results of these scientific studies show a significant incident decrease in this specific social problem area. "In 1990, the Washington State Legislature passed the Community Protection Act, an omnibus bill that included the requirement for sex offenders to register with the sheriff in their county of residence. Public officials, for the first time in U.S. laws, were also authorized to release ‘necessary and relevant` information about sexual predators to the public." ADDIN Mendeley Citation{d7d72278-1edf-4665-bc91-5f21cc85b4cf} CSL_CITATION { "citationItems" : [ { "id" : "ITEM-1", "itemData" : { "URL" : "", "accessed" : { "date-parts" : [ [ "2011", "12", "12" ] ] }, "author" : [ { "family" : "Barnoski", "given" : "Robert" } ], "id" : "ITEM-1", "title" : "SEX OFFENDER SENTENCING IN WASHINGTON STATE: NOTIFICATION LEVELS AND RECIDIVISM", "type" : "webpage" }, "uris" : [ "/documents/?uuid=d7d72278-1edf-4665-bc91-5f21cc85b4cf" ] } ], "mendeley" : { "previouslyFormattedCitation" : "(Barnoski, n.d.-a)" }, "properties" : { "noteIndex" : 0 }, "schema" : "https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json" } (Barnoski, n.d.-a)It is through this that people are informed especially the people who live near the homes of these violators and the people can also decide how they should act for their safety. It is also through this that easier monitoring of the offenders is made possible. Prohibitions are also set through this like lawbreaker`s controlled interaction with minors. There is also the End of Sentence Review Committee (ESRC) who determines the level of risk posted by a sentenced sex offender. Megan`s law, Protection of Children from Sexual Predators Act, Campus Sex Crimes Prevention Act, Prosecutorial Remedies and Other Tools to End the Exploitation of Children Today (PROTECT) Act, Jacob Wetterling Act, National Sex Offender Public Registry (later renamed the DruSjodin National Sex Offender Public Registry) and Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 (AWA) were all made to answer this growing social welfare problem. As mentioned earlier the results are good and show a significant reduction in the problem`s cases but there are still existing problems in the implementation of the laws. Some states or implementers are laid-back, some of the record shows inaccurate information, follow up information is not updated and some other problems are found.
Ultimately the citizens in Washington State benefitted from these programs. Information about the violators helps the citizens to be more cautious around these offenders. They can also have the option to help these people change their unwanted ways or stay away from these convicts.The citizens are also protected by laws and preventive rules. Many of these sex offenders also manage not to commit their offence again and are rehabilitated that makes the other citizens safer. On the other hand the offenders themselves benefit from these policies since they are given the chance to change and to have a life even after they are imprisoned. In addition, they are given trainings that can enhance their skills to be productive citizens when they are released from their sentence.
The programs still exist at present and additional services that enhanced the law were provided. One of the improvements is making the law beneficial and accessible to everyone through the use of "a public accessible Internet based national sex offender database that allows users to specify a search radius across state lines." ADDIN Mendeley Citation{81d31bfb-ad82-42dc-96ee-fd6d1e28d1fc} CSL_CITATION { "citationItems" : [ { "id" : "ITEM-1", "itemData" : { "URL" : "", "accessed" : { "date-parts" : [ [ "2011", "12", "13" ] ] }, "author" : [ { "family" : "Klaas", "given" : "Marc" } ], "id" : "ITEM-1", "issued" : { "date-parts" : [ [ "2011" ] ] }, "title" : "Megan's law by state", "type" : "webpage" }, "uris" : [ "/documents/?uuid=81d31bfb-ad82-42dc-96ee-fd6d1e28d1fc" ] } ], "mendeley" : { "previouslyFormattedCitation" : "(Klaas, 2011)" }, "properties" : { "noteIndex" : 0 }, "schema" : "https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json" } (Klaas, 2011) This specific change is influenced by the current trend of providing accessible and easy information dissemination and obtaining data. Other changes are based on the studies and discussions of government leaders per state that determines what is needed and applicable in a certain place. "Most recently, states have been engaged in public debate over whether a conviction orrisk-based registration classification scheme is preferable. The policy debate was perhaps most visible in Maine, where residents and lawmakers in 2006 were engaged in heated discussion over continued use of the state`s conviction-based Internet registry after the vigilante killing of two registrants, one of whom had been convicted of ‘Romeo and Juliet` underage sexual misconduct. Similar debates have ensued over the appropriateness of requiring adjudicated juveniles to register and be subject to community notification." ADDIN Mendeley Citation{5c29c0d0-dee4-45e2-987a-f57607fc81a2} CSL_CITATION { "citationItems" : [ { "id" : "ITEM-1", "itemData" : { "author" : [ { "family" : "Logan", "given" : "Wayne A." } ], "container-title" : "OHIO STATE JOURNAL OF CRIMINAL LAW", "id" : "ITEM-1", "title" : "Criminal Justice Federalism and National Sex Offender Policy", "type" : "article-journal", "volume" : "OHIO STATE" }, "uris" : [ "/documents/?uuid=5c29c0d0-dee4-45e2-987a-f57607fc81a2" ] } ], "mendeley" : { "previouslyFormattedCitation" : "(Logan, n.d.)" }, "properties" : { "noteIndex" : 0 }, "schema" : "https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json" } (Logan, n.d.)
"The first goal is to develop a comprehensive strategic plan for juvenile and adult sex offender management which is data-driven and based on best practices. To achieve this the following objectives were set: a)Establish two collaborative teams - a Juvenile Sex Offender Management Team and an Adult Sex Offender Management Team - to actively participate in the planning and implementation process of all grant activities through regular communications and meetings. b) Collaborate with Corrections Program Office of the Office of Justice Programs and the Center for Sex Offender Management to determine the level and type of technical assistance most likely to help us meet our goals. c) Develop a plan to implement system improvements that enhances and fills gaps in the continuum of services, sanctions, and supervision of juvenile and adult sex offenders and evaluates the system progress to aid in on-going improvements. d) Include plan components to address issues which cross the juvenile and adult sex offender management systems, such as youth under supervision in the juvenile system transitioning smoothly to the adult system when the law provides, effectively working with families with members in both systems, and intergenerational perpetuation of sexual offense cycles. e) Participate in the national project`s data collection and evaluation efforts. The second goal is to develop and implement local policies which reflect best practices. Support objectives for this are the following: a) Compare current policies with best practices for managing juvenile and adult sex offenders. b) Develop a work plan to educate policy makers, system professionals, community service providers, and the community at large to better understand sex offenses, and sex off...
Professor:
Course/Subject:
Date:Â
Washington State Sex Offended Sentencing: A Policy Analysis
"In the past, while the social welfare problem of having sex offenders was already recognized by the communities and states, the people did not strictly get criminal information and offender`s whereabouts was not made known to the public. Different acts were implemented in varying levels and only some states have it. Although necessaryinformation was gathered, it was still treated as something confidential and strictly for authorities use for tracking down the convicts who are repeat offenders, for investigations and for background checks on people working with children. Then as more dangerous and life threatening events take place laws were approved, more strict implementation was enforced and information regarding offenders and his whereabouts was now made known to the public." ADDIN Mendeley Citation{5c29c0d0-dee4-45e2-987a-f57607fc81a2} CSL_CITATION { "citationItems" : [ { "id" : "ITEM-1", "itemData" : { "author" : [ { "family" : "Logan", "given" : "Wayne A." } ], "container-title" : "OHIO STATE JOURNAL OF CRIMINAL LAW", "id" : "ITEM-1", "title" : "Criminal Justice Federalism and National Sex Offender Policy", "type" : "article-journal", "volume" : "OHIO STATE" }, "uris" : [ "/documents/?uuid=5c29c0d0-dee4-45e2-987a-f57607fc81a2" ] } ], "mendeley" : { "previouslyFormattedCitation" : "(Logan, n.d.)" }, "properties" : { "noteIndex" : 0 }, "schema" : "https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json" } (Logan, n.d.) Afterthese laws were set in place,rehabilitationof lawbreakers were designed and put into practice. Support people and programs were also establishedfor this purpose. The first people who recognized sex offenders as a social welfare problem are the people in the government. These people recognized the need for laws that respond to this social welfare problem and the urgency was interpreted through the series of unfortunate events related to this.The need to protect innocent citizens who were victims of sex offenders was also accepted. People feared that any of the citizens, their children or their neighbour could be the next victim of these convicts. So from this the law makers made an act and later a law to protect these people and up to the present to diminish a great number of these incidences.
One program developed as a response to the growing number of sex offenders is Washington`s sentencing Reform Act of 1981. Through this, guidelines for sentencing to be set by a commission were implemented. "Under the indeterminate sentencing scheme, an offender is offered treatment as part of a probation sentence. If the offender did not succeed or failed to cooperate, the court could impose a jail or prison term later. Since determinate sentencing is an up-front system, however, accommodating treatment meant carving out special rules for sex offenses."ADDIN Mendeley Citation{73e96159-ce55-47ac-9ac4-114326f135ff} CSL_CITATION { "citationItems" : [ { "id" : "ITEM-1", "itemData" : { "URL" : "http://heinonline.org", "accessed" : { "date-parts" : [ [ "2011", "12", "12" ] ] }, "author" : [ { "family" : "Matson", "given" : "Roxann Lieb and Scott" } ], "id" : "ITEM-1", "issued" : { "date-parts" : [ [ "1997" ] ] }, "title" : "Sex Offender Sentencing in Washington State", "type" : "webpage" }, "uris" : [ "/documents/?uuid=73e96159-ce55-47ac-9ac4-114326f135ff" ] } ], "mendeley" : { "previouslyFormattedCitation" : "(Matson, 1997)" }, "properties" : { "noteIndex" : 0 }, "schema" : "https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json" } (Matson, 1997)The Special Sex Offender Sentencing Alternative (SSOSA), was also established. Several criteria were set to determine eligibility of a person in this specific program. Aside from these, several scientific researches were also considered and reviewed to determine effectiveness of programs set to significantly decrease the incidence of sex offences and reoccurrence of these offences or what the studies calls ‘recidivism`. The results of these scientific studies show a significant incident decrease in this specific social problem area. "In 1990, the Washington State Legislature passed the Community Protection Act, an omnibus bill that included the requirement for sex offenders to register with the sheriff in their county of residence. Public officials, for the first time in U.S. laws, were also authorized to release ‘necessary and relevant` information about sexual predators to the public." ADDIN Mendeley Citation{d7d72278-1edf-4665-bc91-5f21cc85b4cf} CSL_CITATION { "citationItems" : [ { "id" : "ITEM-1", "itemData" : { "URL" : "", "accessed" : { "date-parts" : [ [ "2011", "12", "12" ] ] }, "author" : [ { "family" : "Barnoski", "given" : "Robert" } ], "id" : "ITEM-1", "title" : "SEX OFFENDER SENTENCING IN WASHINGTON STATE: NOTIFICATION LEVELS AND RECIDIVISM", "type" : "webpage" }, "uris" : [ "/documents/?uuid=d7d72278-1edf-4665-bc91-5f21cc85b4cf" ] } ], "mendeley" : { "previouslyFormattedCitation" : "(Barnoski, n.d.-a)" }, "properties" : { "noteIndex" : 0 }, "schema" : "https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json" } (Barnoski, n.d.-a)It is through this that people are informed especially the people who live near the homes of these violators and the people can also decide how they should act for their safety. It is also through this that easier monitoring of the offenders is made possible. Prohibitions are also set through this like lawbreaker`s controlled interaction with minors. There is also the End of Sentence Review Committee (ESRC) who determines the level of risk posted by a sentenced sex offender. Megan`s law, Protection of Children from Sexual Predators Act, Campus Sex Crimes Prevention Act, Prosecutorial Remedies and Other Tools to End the Exploitation of Children Today (PROTECT) Act, Jacob Wetterling Act, National Sex Offender Public Registry (later renamed the DruSjodin National Sex Offender Public Registry) and Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 (AWA) were all made to answer this growing social welfare problem. As mentioned earlier the results are good and show a significant reduction in the problem`s cases but there are still existing problems in the implementation of the laws. Some states or implementers are laid-back, some of the record shows inaccurate information, follow up information is not updated and some other problems are found.
Ultimately the citizens in Washington State benefitted from these programs. Information about the violators helps the citizens to be more cautious around these offenders. They can also have the option to help these people change their unwanted ways or stay away from these convicts.The citizens are also protected by laws and preventive rules. Many of these sex offenders also manage not to commit their offence again and are rehabilitated that makes the other citizens safer. On the other hand the offenders themselves benefit from these policies since they are given the chance to change and to have a life even after they are imprisoned. In addition, they are given trainings that can enhance their skills to be productive citizens when they are released from their sentence.
The programs still exist at present and additional services that enhanced the law were provided. One of the improvements is making the law beneficial and accessible to everyone through the use of "a public accessible Internet based national sex offender database that allows users to specify a search radius across state lines." ADDIN Mendeley Citation{81d31bfb-ad82-42dc-96ee-fd6d1e28d1fc} CSL_CITATION { "citationItems" : [ { "id" : "ITEM-1", "itemData" : { "URL" : "", "accessed" : { "date-parts" : [ [ "2011", "12", "13" ] ] }, "author" : [ { "family" : "Klaas", "given" : "Marc" } ], "id" : "ITEM-1", "issued" : { "date-parts" : [ [ "2011" ] ] }, "title" : "Megan's law by state", "type" : "webpage" }, "uris" : [ "/documents/?uuid=81d31bfb-ad82-42dc-96ee-fd6d1e28d1fc" ] } ], "mendeley" : { "previouslyFormattedCitation" : "(Klaas, 2011)" }, "properties" : { "noteIndex" : 0 }, "schema" : "https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json" } (Klaas, 2011) This specific change is influenced by the current trend of providing accessible and easy information dissemination and obtaining data. Other changes are based on the studies and discussions of government leaders per state that determines what is needed and applicable in a certain place. "Most recently, states have been engaged in public debate over whether a conviction orrisk-based registration classification scheme is preferable. The policy debate was perhaps most visible in Maine, where residents and lawmakers in 2006 were engaged in heated discussion over continued use of the state`s conviction-based Internet registry after the vigilante killing of two registrants, one of whom had been convicted of ‘Romeo and Juliet` underage sexual misconduct. Similar debates have ensued over the appropriateness of requiring adjudicated juveniles to register and be subject to community notification." ADDIN Mendeley Citation{5c29c0d0-dee4-45e2-987a-f57607fc81a2} CSL_CITATION { "citationItems" : [ { "id" : "ITEM-1", "itemData" : { "author" : [ { "family" : "Logan", "given" : "Wayne A." } ], "container-title" : "OHIO STATE JOURNAL OF CRIMINAL LAW", "id" : "ITEM-1", "title" : "Criminal Justice Federalism and National Sex Offender Policy", "type" : "article-journal", "volume" : "OHIO STATE" }, "uris" : [ "/documents/?uuid=5c29c0d0-dee4-45e2-987a-f57607fc81a2" ] } ], "mendeley" : { "previouslyFormattedCitation" : "(Logan, n.d.)" }, "properties" : { "noteIndex" : 0 }, "schema" : "https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json" } (Logan, n.d.)
"The first goal is to develop a comprehensive strategic plan for juvenile and adult sex offender management which is data-driven and based on best practices. To achieve this the following objectives were set: a)Establish two collaborative teams - a Juvenile Sex Offender Management Team and an Adult Sex Offender Management Team - to actively participate in the planning and implementation process of all grant activities through regular communications and meetings. b) Collaborate with Corrections Program Office of the Office of Justice Programs and the Center for Sex Offender Management to determine the level and type of technical assistance most likely to help us meet our goals. c) Develop a plan to implement system improvements that enhances and fills gaps in the continuum of services, sanctions, and supervision of juvenile and adult sex offenders and evaluates the system progress to aid in on-going improvements. d) Include plan components to address issues which cross the juvenile and adult sex offender management systems, such as youth under supervision in the juvenile system transitioning smoothly to the adult system when the law provides, effectively working with families with members in both systems, and intergenerational perpetuation of sexual offense cycles. e) Participate in the national project`s data collection and evaluation efforts. The second goal is to develop and implement local policies which reflect best practices. Support objectives for this are the following: a) Compare current policies with best practices for managing juvenile and adult sex offenders. b) Develop a work plan to educate policy makers, system professionals, community service providers, and the community at large to better understand sex offenses, and sex off...
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