Monetary Sanctions Assessed for Sexual Offense Convictions: Avenues for Policy Reform Available to Purchase

Although there is a burgeoning body of research on the costs of a criminal conviction, very little scholarship explores the ways in which monetary sanctions are differentially assessed across offense types. Individuals convicted of sexual offenses are subject to a host of legal controls and conditions of correctional supervision compared to people convicted of other crimes, which come with differential financial sanctions and requisite conditions of compliance. Further, individuals convicted of sexual offenses are mandated to register with their state’s sex offense specific database, which can carry fees. Relatedly, such individuals are often required to attend treatment, take recurring polygraph tests, and are more likely to be placed on electronic monitoring, all of which carry surcharges. At the same time, people with sexual offense convictions may be required to take additional classes at personal cost if they wish to visit with minor children. The goal of this work is to document the unique costs associated with a sexual offense conviction. We make recommendations for reform based on these costs’ potential to impact success in the community and reproduce inequality.