A time‐series analysis on the impact of sex offender registration and community notification laws on plea bargaining rates

Although recent research has investigated the impact registration and community notification laws have on sex offender recidivism, few studies to date have examined how these laws have impacted the criminal justice system. Specifically, the enactment of registration and community notification laws may have resulted in an increase in plea bargain agreements, as prosecutors now have a tool to induce pleas, and alleged offenders may be more willing to accept the plea option to avoid becoming a registered sex offender. To test this hypothesis, 21 years of arrest and conviction data (10 years prior to the enactment of registration and 11 years post the enactment) were obtained from New York State. Results of the ARIMA analyses indicated that the enactment of registration and community notification laws did not impact rates of plea bargaining.