The Victimization of Sex Offenders within the United States Criminal Justice System

Abstract

In the United States, the criminal justice system is set up in such a way that sex offenders are targeted far greater than those who commit other types of crimes.  This perpetuation of sex offenders as monstrous leads to a large-scale bias that is detrimental to their safety during incarceration, their psychological well-being, and their social and community relationships.  There is a widespread victimization of sex offenders within the criminal justice system, which creates an unjust victim-oriented environment that hinders due process.  This victimization of sex offenders also implies a type of gender politics within the law that is harmful to the integrity of the legal system.  This systematic victimization of sex offenders within the criminal justice system is counterintuitive to the idea of rehabilitation, reformation, and decreasing the likelihood of recidivism, which is arguably an essential role that the criminal justice system should play for incarcerated peoples to be released back into society.