Welcome to the What's New section of our web site, where new site features and information will be highlighted. Find out about new events on our calendar and upcoming CSOM activities and publications.

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE FROM CSOM

The U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) is pleased to announce additional support for the activities of the Center for Sex Offender Management (CSOM). CSOM is offering a limited amount of short-term technical assistance to jurisdictions to support the development of informed sex offender management policy.

Three awards for assistance have already been made as part of this initiative:

• Kentucky and Missouri will be provided with assistance in developing and delivering a briefing session for legislators on sex offender management issues; and
• The State of New York will receive assistance with formulating a strategic plan to more effectively manage juvenile sex offenders throughout the state.

This is a time-limited initiative and, as such, delivery of the assistance must be completed timeline for the assistance is by June, 2010. Because assistance is limited, participating jurisdictions will be selected through a competitive application process. Click here to download the application kit for more information and to apply for assistance. Applications are due by February 19, 2010. Please contact Leilah Gilligan at lgilligan@cepp.com or 415-871-4006 with questions.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

See http://www.csom.org/ref/ref.html for a new addition to our web site, Frequently Asked Questions.

NOW AVAILABLE: MANAGING JUVENILE SEX OFFENSE CASES: KEYS TO INFORMED DECISIONMAKING

The Managing Juvenile Sex Offense Cases: Keys to Informed Decisionmaking curriculum is designed to provide practical information to juvenile and family court judges about youth who engage in sexually abusive behavior, and to enhance their day-to-day decisionmaking in these challenging cases.

Key topics covered include:

• Differences between juveniles and adults who commit sex offenses;
  
  
• Unique considerations for judges at key decision points throughout the juvenile and family court process;
  
  
• Specialized assessment, treatment, and supervision approaches from the perspective of the judiciary;
  
  
• Strategies for facilitating family engagement from the bench;
  
  
• Local policies and practices that are in place for juvenile sex offenders, the victims of these crimes, and their families; and
  
  
• Various roles that the judiciary can assume in promoting effective juvenile sex offender management efforts.

NOW AVAILABLE:  4 NEW DOCUMENTS ON SEX OFFENDER MANAGEMENT

Key Roles of Law Enforcement in Sex Offender Management. (2009)
The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the roles and leadership opportunities for law enforcement in increasing public safety and reducing the likelihood of further sexual victimization through involvement in a variety of sex offender management activities. 

Twenty Strategies for Advancing Sex Offender Management in Your Jurisdiction. (2009)
This document offers evidence-based and promising strategies for policymakers interested in advancing adult and juvenile sex offender management in their jurisdictions.  In addition to providing an overview of each policy approach, the document describes the efforts of jurisdictions in the U.S. and Canada to implement these strategies.

The Comprehensive Approach to Sex Offender Management. (2009)
The Comprehensive Approach to sex offender management is a framework that has been developed to define and encourage a strategic and collaborative response to managing sex offenders and reducing recidivism.  The Comprehensive Approach offers a promising and well–grounded framework that jurisdictions can consider using to build an informed, integrated set of policies and practices to promote the shared goal of ensuring victim and community safety.

Legislative Trends in the Sex Offender Management. (2009)
This resource document provides lawmakers and other interested parties, such as agency directors, court officials, and criminal justice practitioners with an overview of legislative trends in sex offender management, the intended objectives of the laws, and key research exploring the impact of these policy initiatives.

NOW AVAILABLE:  NEW DOCUMENT
Fact Sheet: What You Need to Know About Sex Offenders. (2008)

This fact sheet was developed for members of the public who want to know more about sexual assault, sex offenders, and the role that citizens can play in keeping their communities safe. It highlights key issues related to sex offenses and the management of sex offenders who are under the control of the justice system.