violation of the Due Process Clause. The first step is to determine if the stateinterfered with a liberty interest. If an interest exists, then it must be determined if the proceduresfor the deprived interest are constitutionally sufficient. Several federal courts have found thesechallenges fail(Oakes 99). Simply notifying the public does not remove the responsibility of the legal system fromkeeping sex offenders from committing another offense. If the correctional system releases aconvicted offender and places him or her on parole they must be supervision. A study found inthe Journal of Criminal Justice and Behavior, by R. Hanson and Andrew Harris, looked atpossible behavioral indicators predicting the recidivism of a sex offender. They found recidivistsgenerally have poor supports, attitudes tolerant of sexual assault, antisocial lifestyles, poorself-management strategies, and difficulties cooperating with supervision. Most importantly,recidivists showed increased anger and distress just before reoffending. That being said,supervision is incredibly important in preventing further victimization. The Florida Department ofCorrections has outlined six special considerations for the supervisors of sex offenders. Contactsin the field should be irregular and unpredictable, and weekend visits are a necessity. “Walk-throughs” are important during home visits. Items, like toys and stuffed animals, teenmagazines, cameras, children’s clothing, video games, or any suspicious materials, should raise ared flag. Making occasional contact with family, friends, and the offender’s counselor may yielduseful information. Employers should be contacted and have an understanding for what theoffender is on probation for. Employers are also good sources of information. Contact withpolice officers on patrol might yield information pertaining to late night/early morning activity thesupervisor might never have learned on th...
