Background information and links to official documentation that validate statements made on this site. This page provides links to notes and articles according to their subject matter.

Feedback is invited from readers who have corrections or additions to the information presented in the notes. Please send e-mail to RSOL at MBurns dot com.

The Notes and Documentation pages were created to provide "footnotes" for the Introduction and Statement pages on ReformSexOffenderLaws.org. In addition to the footnote links there, this page provides an alternative way to go to the notes and related articles, allowing readers to look them up by subject matter.

Topic	Notes and Articles
Summary and overview	See highlights flier.
Basic information on sex offender registries	See Note I-1.
Culture
Ordinary people surprised to find themselves labeled as sex offenders	See Note I-2 and Look Who’s a Sex Offender Now!
Culture of fear	See Note I-10.
Diverting attention from real dangers to children	See Note I-6 and Ignoring Mistreatment of Children in the USA. See also Note S-20.
Juvenile sex offenders	See Note I-7 and Criminalizing Child’s Play. Re age of youngest "offenders," see Note I-24 and Note I-25. Re use of aversive therapies on children, see Note I-26. Re civil commitment for an offense committed as a juvenile, see Note S-21.
Characteristics of people who hurt children or engage with them sexually	Re relationship of abusers to the children abused, see Note S-17. Re violence of people attracted to children, see Note S-13. Re medical definition of pedophilia, see Note S-14.
Repeat offense rates of sex offenders	See Note S-18.
Political pressure to support sex offender laws	See Note S-31.
Destructive impact on society of demonizing its individuals	See Note S-23.
Does anyone stand up for sex offenders?	See Note S-30.
What should change	See Note S-32.
Law
National age of consent in the US	See Note I-5 and Is there a National Age of Consent in the US?
Mandatory reporting laws for child abuse	See Note S-24 and Note S-25.
Prosecution of innocent people	Re lumping together of the innocent and the guilty, see Note I-8. Re false accusations, see Note I-11 and False Accusations of Child Sexual Abuse. Re recovered memories, see Note I-13.
Prosecuting for violence when there was no violence	See Note I-29.
Erosion of civil rights in the justice system	See Note I-4. Re elimination of statutes of limitations, see Note I-12. Re holding prisoners without charge, see Note I-16. Re ex post facto law, see Note S-27. Re response of human rights advocates, see Note S-30.
Punishment
How many registered sex offenders there are	See Note I-23 and Counting and Over-Counting Sex Offenders.
Harsh treatment for minor infractions	See Note I-9 and Note S-2.
Extraordinarily harsh punishments, even for nonviolent sex offences	Re length of sentences, see Note I-14, Throwing Away the Key. Re lifetime internment (indefinite civil commitment) of sex offenders, see Note I-28, Note S-29, and Note I-29. Re civil commitment for an offense committed as a juvenile, see Note S-21. Re number of people in civil commitment, the number that get released, and treatment provided, see Note I-30, Note I-31, and Note I-32. Re death penalty for nonviolent sex offenses, see Note I-15 and Note S-29.
Curtailment of civil liberties of sex offenders	Re residency restrictions and discrimination, see Note I-18. Re employment restrictions and discrimination, see Note I-17. Re presence restrictions (where they are allowed to be), see Note I-21. Re travel restrictions, see Note I-20. Re remote monitoring, see Note S-9 and Note S-10. Re response of human rights advocates, see Note S-30.
Suicides and murders of sex offenders	See Note I-19.
	About the Notes Author.