Residency Restrictions for Sex Offenders Iowa

Residency restriction laws are a fairly new method some jurisdictions are using in an attempt to curb the actions of sex offenders. Alabama passed the first residency restriction law in 1996 as part of the state’s Community Notification Act. It prohibited child molesters from living within 1,000 feet of a school. By January 2006, approximately 14 states had enacted residency restrictions. Moreover, some local governments have implemented their own residency restrictions.

While this controversial residency law has raised questions of fairness and constitutionality, it’s currently legal and valid. Studies have concluded that residency restrictions for sex offenders are ineffective, including research by the Minnesota chapter of the Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers.

Below you will find detailed information about residency restrictions for sex offenders, including an in-depth look at an Iowa law that has shaped the current state of sex offender punishment and sentencing options.

History of the Iowa Residency Restriction Law

Critics and supporters of residency restriction laws have watched Iowa’s law with interest since its passage in 2002. The Iowa law applies to a “person who has committed a criminal offense against a minor, or an aggravated offense, sexually violent offense, or other relevant offense that involved a minor.” According to the law, “A person shall not reside within two thousand feet of the real property comprising a public or nonpublic elementary or secondary school or a child care facility.”

The law doesn’t apply in certain circumstances, including where the “person has established a residence prior to July 1, 2002, or a school or child care facility is newly located on or after July 1, 2002,” or where the person is a minor or a ward under a guardianship. It is an aggravated misdemeanor to reside within 2,000 feet of a school or child care facility.

Read the entire article on https://criminal.findlaw.com/