http://cjr.sagepub.

com/
Criminal Justice Review
http://cjr.sagepub.com/content/38/1/135
The online version of this article can be found at:

DOI: 10.1177/0734016812450024
2013 38: 135 originally published online 26 June 2012 Criminal Justice Review
Jill S. Levenson
in America
Book Review: Sex Fiends, Perverts, and Pedophiles: Understanding Sex Crime Policy

Published by:
http://www.sagepublications.com
On behalf of:

Published in Association with Georgia State University, Department of Criminal Justice & Criminology
can be found at: Criminal Justice Review Additional services and information for

http://cjr.sagepub.com/cgi/alerts Email Alerts:

http://cjr.sagepub.com/subscriptions Subscriptions:
http://www.sagepub.com/journalsReprints.nav Reprints:

http://www.sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav Permissions:

http://cjr.sagepub.com/content/38/1/135.refs.html Citations:

What is This?

- Jun 26, 2012 OnlineFirst Version of Record

- Jul 18, 2012 OnlineFirst Version of Record

- Feb 28, 2013 Version of Record >>

by guest on September 17, 2014 cjr.sagepub.com Downloaded from by guest on September 17, 2014 cjr.sagepub.com Downloaded from
Overall, Prosecution Complex: Americas Race to Convict and Its Impact on the Innocent is a
must read for those interested in becoming prosecutors, those that currently hold the position, and
anyone with a vested interest in understanding the prosecutorial process and making it a better one.
It may be a bit of a challenge for an undergraduate reader but is definitely suitable for graduate stu-
dents and others up for the challenge of learning more about the possibility of innocent convictions.
Chrysanthi Leon
Sex Fiends, Perverts, and Pedophiles: Understanding Sex Crime Policy in America New York, NY: New York
University Press, 2011. 253 pp. $23.00. ISBN 978-0-8147-5326-2.
Reviewed by: Jill S. Levenson, Lynn University, Boca Raton, FL, USA
DOI: 10.1177/0734016812450024
This book is an interesting and informative narrative of sex offender policy as it emerged throughout
the 20th Century. The author certainly provides a very thorough discussion of distinct periods in his-
tory, and the key strength of the book is its compelling and detailed historical overview. Using a
sociological lens to contextualize the social construction of sex crimes and sex offenders, the author
describes a series of high-profile crimes, the media attention they received, and the ways they influ-
enced public discourse and social policy.
The author uses these examples to illustrate the myths about sex offenders that permeate public
perceptions and shape public policy. Using a vast range of criminological, sociological, and psycho-
logical research to examine disparities between the myths and the facts, Dr. Leon artfully paints a
picture of good intentions gone woefully awry.
The book is well written and easy to understand. Though the book is grounded in scholarly
research, the writing style allows for easy digestion of a wide array of complex data. The book is
logically organized in chronological fashion as it follows the evolution of sex crime policy through-
out the 1900s and into the 21st century. The author uses a mixed method of archival news research,
scholarly literature review, and qualitative interviews to provide a well-orchestrated mix of social
history, empirical data, and individual experience.
A primary critique of the book focuses around the weak historical analysis of contemporary pol-
icy, particularly the evolution (and controversies) of the federalization of registration and notifica-
tion sex offender registration and notification (SORN) policy from the Jacob Wetterling Act to the
Adam Walsh Act. Specifically, registration and notification (Megans Law) were originally very
distinct concepts, but have become blurred as policy and technology have evolved. Empirical policy
analysis and research regarding collateral consequences of SORN laws were only peripherally
reviewed in the book, and should have been given more attention. On another note, I found the ref-
erence style confusing and (especially for a less-informed reader) sometimes difficult to discern
original sources. The book was obviously well-researched, but some references are imprecise
(e.g., the cited article is not actually the best or proper one to support the stated fact). Some sources
cited in the footnotes were not in the bibliography, and many other works, especially those related to
contemporary SORN policy analysis and unintended consequences, should have been cited but
were not.
The weakest portion of the book by far was Chapter 6 and its inaccurate mischaracterization of
sex offender evaluators and treatment providers. The authors argument is not grounded in a com-
prehensive understanding of the scope and nature of the sex offender assessment and treatment field.
Book Reviews 135
by guest on September 17, 2014 cjr.sagepub.com Downloaded from
The risk is that readers might be misled into viewing sex offender clinicians as unskilled or worse, as
charlatans. The author takes pains on Page 135 to praise and support people who work with sex
offenders but only after referring to them as paraprofessionals. In fact, the vast majority of out-
patient sex offender treatment providers, and all forensic evaluators, have masters or doctorate
degrees and are appropriately licensed by a state regulatory board (McGrath, Cumming, Burchard,
Zeoli, and Ellerby, 2010). She refers disparagingly on Page 141 to sex offender treatment as a
quasi-profession. In reality, most sex offender treatment providers have obtained highly specia-
lized experience and expertise in the assessment and intervention of these challenging and some-
times dangerous individuals. Leon goes so far on Page 185 to suggest that treatment practitioners
are reaping financial . . . rewards from sex offender policies that they themselves helped shape.
To the contrary, most sex offender specialists are deeply disturbed by the misguided policies of the
last 20 years. On a daily basis, they bear witness to the hopelessness of clients faced with seemingly
insurmountable obstacles to community reintegration. To imply that these specially trained profes-
sionals (who dedicate their lives to rehabilitating societys most feared and reviled criminals) have a
disingenuous or self-serving motive is a serious disservice to the field and to the community. Leons
simplistic and misinformed presentation of actuarial and clinical sex offender assessment and treat-
ment undermines the credibility of an otherwise informative book.
It is a bit unclear for whom this book is intended as its target audience. It is likely too dense
for most lay readers, and there may or may not be a broad interest in the topic. It might be a useful
supplement for students in a sociology or criminology course, but it would probably not serve as a
primary textbook. It is an interesting read for professionals in fields related to sex crime, but many of
them are already fairly well-versed in the literature.
In the end, Leon advocates for policies that do a better job classifying sex offenders by their rela-
tive degrees of danger, and for better discrimination between those who pose the greatest threat and
those who are less likely to reoffend. She argues, correctly, that to do otherwise will facilitate an
inefficient distribution of resources and overwhelm a management system that will ultimately prove
to be untenable for fiscal and practical reasons. She convincingly asserts that research should play a
more significant role in policy development and argues that policies incorporating empirical evi-
dence would benefit community safety and promote successful sexual offender reintegration.
References
McGrath, R., Cumming, G., Burchard, B., Zeoli, S., and Ellerby, L. (2010). Current Practices and Emerging
Trends in Sexual Abuser Management: The Safer Society 2009 North American Survey. Brandon, Vermont:
Safer Society Press.
H. Copes and M. R. Pogrebin
Voices From Criminal Justice: Thinking and Reflecting on the System New York NY: Routledge, 2012. xii, 513 pp.
$145.00 (cloth), $45.56 (paper). ISBN 10 0415887496
Reviewed by: Willard M. Oliver, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX, USA
DOI: 10.1177/0734016812452301
Heith Copes and Mark Pogrebin, two of the leading scholars of qualitative research in criminal jus-
tice, have produced an innovative edited textbook/reader, aimed at the undergraduate student of
criminal justice, which brings the real-life experience of practitioners in the criminal justice field
136 Criminal Justice Review 38(1)
by guest on September 17, 2014 cjr.sagepub.com Downloaded from