Registered Sex Offenders’ experiences of risk assessments and home visits in England & Wales – can we expect the police to integrate “risk” with “desistance” practices?

Abstract

In England and Wales, adult male registered sex offenders (RSOs) are risk assessed and managed using a tool known as Active Risk Management System (ARMS) and this risk assessment is carried out by a specialist group of police officers known as Management of Violent or Sexual Offenders (MOSOVO) at the RSO’s home, known as ‘the home visit’. This study aimed to examine a sample of RSOs’ views of the risk assessment and home visit process and to make recommendations to MOSOVO, based on RSOs’ views, to improve the risk assessment and home visit practice. Three police forces in England and Wales agreed to facilitate sampling of 10 RSOs who varied in their level of risk - namely, low, medium, high and very high. Semi-structured interviews were thematically analysed and three themes were developed: Waiting for the first home visit provoked feelings of anxiety and heightened levels of shame; the first home visit was ‘like a chat’ but not for the higher risk RSOs; and the property search and observations were non-invasive, but RSOs were not fully informed of the home visit. We discuss these experiences in light of the growing call for MOSOVOs to both manage risk and assist desistance.