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DC Council Testimony on Bill 19-255, Sex Offender Registration Amendment Act

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In Category : Youth Justice, Policing, Criminal Justice Reform, Place Based Reform

This testimony was presented to the DC City Council Committee on the Judiciary in regards to Bill 19-255, The Sex Offender Registration Amendment Act. The legislation aims to bring the District into compliance with the Adam Walsh Act, but research from JPI shows this would come at a tremendous cost to taxpayers and would not produce a significant public safety benefits. In her testimony research associate Nastassia Walsh cited our report Registering Harm. Below is an excerpt from the testimony:

“Our research and that of other experts shows that the proposed legislative changes to the District’s Sex Offender Registration Act will NOT significantly improve public safety or reduce sexual victimization. However, these policies will carry a significant price tag for the District now and in the future, and misallocate resources that could be used in ways that do improve public safety. In particular, policies aimed at youth, including expanding their inclusion on the registry, could reduce the chance that youth will be successful either now or later as adults.”

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