2014 Sex offender laws in the United States: smart policy or disproportionate sanctions?

The United States started passing regulations in the 1990s to monitor and control community-dwelling sex offenders. These have developed to include things like sex offenders’ Internet registries, residence bans, GPS tracking, and even the civil commitment of offenders after serving their prison terms. Although other nations have passed legislation to keep track of sex offenders, none of them has gone as far as the United States in restricting offenders’ civil liberties. This article discusses the foundation of US laws, their difficulties, gives a summary of their effectiveness, and contrasts the US strategy with that of other nations.