Is the Sex Offender Registry Fair?
The 1990s saw a significant rise in horrific sex offenses directed towards children, prompting the federal and state governments to formulate laws to help deter offenders and ensure public safety. One of these laws was the 1994 Jacob Wetterling Crimes Against Children and Sexually Violent Offender Registration Act, requiring convicted offenders to register with their local law enforcement after their release from prison.
In 1996, Congress passed Meghan’s Law (a subsection of the Jacob Wetterling Act), which was then signed into law by President Bill Clinton. This law required law enforcement agencies to publicize the information of convicted sex offenders. This meant that any person needing to look up a person’s name when doing a background check for sex offenses could find their name in the sex offenders register if they had had a sex crimes conviction. Under some jurisdictions, the police must conduct community notification in neighborhoods where convicted sex offenders live.
The intentions of the creators of sex offenders’ registry were considered noble. However, in recent years, sex registry laws have come under much criticism from proponents of criminal justice reform and human rights watch groups as unfair and ineffective in attaining the initial objective. Additionally, sex offenses are the only crimes where offenders suffer double jeopardy for their crimes, which is unfair.
The 1990s saw a significant rise in horrific sex offenses directed towards children….
I don’t buy this for one hot second and neither should any of you. What we had in the 1990’s was 24/7 news coverage and more NATIONAL news coverage. Sexual offenses were nothing “new” but they damn sure got treated as if they were. Sorry but, a local news channel in Connecticut most likely didn’t report on a child molestation that happened in the outskirts of Kentucky in the 1970’s or 80’s. It wasn’t the equivalent of an abduction like what happened to Adam Walsh. So no, there was no “rise” in sexual offenses, there was a rise in News coverage.
Also, this “crimes against children” I assume includes the teenagers who either lied about their ages or just flat out seduced older people because of their raging hormones, correct? That’s a “crime against children”? It’s not even in the same ballpark as what happened to Jason Wetterling and Megan Kanka. Stop mixing the two.
Obviously I wasn’t kidnapped, I wasn’t raped and I wasn’t murdered. And guess who else wasn’t; Priscilla Presley. And guess who else wasn’t; Reve Walsh. And guess who else wasn’t; The teenager I engaged with.
Stop lumping people together in one basket.
Elvis the king Isn’t a registrant
John Walsh isn’t a registrant
Former generations aren’t registrants.
Societal norms change human behavior and hormones don’t. Just because a minor engages in sexual behavior doesn’t make them a pervert or abnormal, it makes adults look stupid for not understanding biology even when John and Karen are growing up.
People like John Wash will normalize their own actions, while demonizing those same actions when done by others. That’s because people always see their own actions in the best possible light while often making the worst assumptions about the actions of others. This is the fallen human condition in which we live and it takes a mature person to rise above this. No many care to, however.
I would not say that the original intent of the SOR was ever noble. The registry was never anything except public shaming. Shady politicians realized the massive power of mentioning CHILDREN and how easily parents and the general population can be manipulated using so-called “child protection” as the reason.
Although scientifically proven to be 100% ineffective they continue to grow and to ensnare victims (there I said it – we are victims of the RSO). Every time a politician needs to change the subject or divert attention all they have to do is mention sex offenders.
So NO the registry is NOT fair because there is no way off even when your time is done. They are a lifetime punishment in Florida. Until there is a way off it will continue to be unfair and will continue to used to abuse victims who are caught up in the living nightmare (and yes innocent people get caught up in this as well).
The answer is no. No it’s not fair. It’s political and it’s all about getting and maintaining legislative seats while taking and making money from political donors. As long as people are making millions off the registry, it will never go away.
Although the article is well researched and accurate, the opening sentence is misleading. It states, “The 1990s saw a significant rise in horrific sex offenses directed towards children, prompting the federal and state governments to formulate laws to help deter offenders and ensure public safety. ” The reality is that the draconian sex offender laws were prompted not by a “significant rise” but by a handful of horrific and high-profile cases. A casual reader might assume otherwise from from the opening sentence.
“Additionally, sex offenses are the only crimes where offenders suffer double jeopardy for their crimes, which is unfair.”
‘Double Jeopardy’ is The Key Here! The US Justice System, Thinks Otherwise…..Because, If So, The Registry CANT EXIST!
How many people who ran daycares in the 1970’s and 1980’s were accused of child sacrifices? Back then there were faces of missing children on milk cartons, but if there’s an amber alert is always make it sound horrid. Nothing noble about registries in a ‘free’ society if you believe that I have a car without wheels for sale. Not seeking inquiries
@Brandon, et al
Missing-children milk carton: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missing-children_milk_carton
Just thought people should read up on it for a min and see how unsuccessful this effort was in locating children but more successful in facing criticism.
The Registry accomplishes many things:
1) Helps the economy of countries without a registry as registry places viable workers out of workforce.
2) Forces former offenders to live far from schools and the watchful prying eyes of meddling parents and teachers to remote areas where children do not have playground equipment and must play in the yard of the RSO.
3) Allows single moms the opportunity to hook men in and threaten them they will tell police they molested their child unless they: commit to marriage, buy expensive items…(the world is their oyster really!)
4) Allows free stuff for everyone since police will not do anything to protect the assets of the RSO.
5) Subsidize psychologists with 1-star ratings who become “psychosexual experts for court”.
6) Creates profitable porn business for high-school girls in producing explicit files to be planted on unsuspecting men by their step-mothers who plan to frame the men and then take all of their possessions AND buy drugs with the profits.
7) Increase profits by drug dealers. (See above)
8) Allows RSO to have more time with nieces and nephews who sit on the lap of the RSO since he cannot find work and must live with brother since no one will rent to him.
9) Forces RSO to not work and instead hang out at the mall, bar or McDonald’s play place all day.
10) Increases the need for vaccines since RSOs ride the bus all day since they can’t find housing and have no access to clean water.
LOL !! Well and ”nuff” said…..
Someone who cares, I liked that comment and the constructive use in this topic. Sure I like Tim in WI’s comments, but is he not thinking more in a computerized era or a data base. Do we all have the answers to why a child gets killed whether by a truck or on a train track.
Do we have the answers to why indenture Servitude is illegal or why they still have kings in many places today when this registry is in many respects a simple catch 22 ordeal or who’s mouth overloads the shopping cart with an Egyptian rule of justice. So is justice today some type of he said she said rags to riches penalty error. Isn’t to error human still weighing in the balance today.
Unfair, illegal, and it just sucks. I’m sure that one thing we can agree on is that the registry is not effective. Not only is it not effective, but it IS infecting our families, friends, co-workers, and neighbors. Time for this Pandemic to end!!