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Due to the complicated and challenging nature of sex offense cases and community management, courts and criminal justice agencies have struggled to create comprehensive and collaborative responses. Sex Offense Courts are designed to respond to the challenges through thorough assessment of community needs, identification of gaps in services and information, and the streamlining of information before one judge. Multi-disciplinary planning teams enable court and community stakeholders to engage in an extensive planning and implementation period aimed at enhancing the court's response to sex offenses and coordination of community supervision to increase victim safety.
The goal of the sex offense court is to enhance agency coordination, develop effective court practices when adjudicating sex offense cases; promote evidence-based sentencing and effective supervision of offenders; provide clear and consistent responses to non-compliance; provide specialized training to stakeholders and personnel; and support community education.
Currently, there are sex offense courts operating in Erie, Queens, Oswego, Tompkins, Westchester, Suffolk, Orange, and Nassau Counties. Center staff provides national technical assistance on planning and implementing enhance sex offender community management responses.
How They Work
Cases: Offense Courts hear felony level sex offense cases in a particular jurisdiction (a city or a county). Click here for New York State list of SORA registerable offenses. Cases are identified at arraignment and transferred to the Sex Offense Court.
One Judge: A single presiding judge is trained in sex offending behavior and best practices in offender management. Concentrating the cases in front of one judge allows for more uniform and informed decision making and more judicial oversight in offender compliance with court sanctions.
Community Management of Sexual Offenders: The Sex Offense Court establishes close working relationships with prosecution, defense bar, probation, forensic services and victim services to ensure that proper community supervision of the offender is established prior to sentencing. Regular stakeholder meetings are held to ensure communication between all service providers and the court is without gaps and offenders are being held accountable.
Victim Safety: Victim safety is at the center of all sex offender management. Sex Offense Courts work closely with local community and govenment based victim services to ensure that victims needs are met. | 
