Citation

Mancini C, Barnes JC, Mears DP. Crim. Justice Policy Rev. 2013; 24(2): 166-198.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2013, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/0887403411424079

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Sex crime laws seemingly have proliferated recently as part of a national "get tough" shift in criminal justice policy. However, to date, there exists no systematic account of these state-level legislative changes. Accordingly, the "tough on sex crime" characterization of states may be understated or incorrect. It may also gloss over variability in the types of laws enacted and the implications such variability has for the generalizability of assessments of these laws. Drawing on an analysis of state laws, we identify considerable variation in the type, intensity, and design of sex crime laws among states. Results suggest that not all states have uniformly embraced these reforms, that considerable caution is warranted when generalizing from evaluations of particular laws, and that the continuing expansion of sex crime policy making will make it increasingly difficult, especially in the absence of a commensurate body of empirical research, to identify the effects of specific policies.

Language: en