OPINION Proposed sex offender registry legislation doesn’t make communities safer
House Bill 306 is before the Delaware State Legislature. For the 4,500-plus Delawareans who appear on the state Sex Offender Registry the proposed legislation changes the “Restrictions” designation on the front of their driver’s licenses from the current “Y” to “SO.” The bill retains the words “Sex Offender” that already appear on the back of licenses.
HB306 proposes nothing to make the public safer. Delaware drivers licenses use federally compliant standards, and law enforcement technology provides immediate knowledge of a person’s registry status without relying on any specific license designation. HB306 is purely punitive.
We show drivers licenses at many places, pharmacies, doctor’s offices, and banks. Employees of such places have no need to know if someone appears on the registry. HB306 will discourage individuals from accessing important services like medical care, prescriptions, and banking. HB306 simply encourages public shaming for individuals and discourage them from successful reintegration into society, a key component of preventing further offenses.
Here is the bomb shell. How does having sex offender on your license make anyone safe? If you go on a date, who in their right might would ask to see your driver’s license? And if you show it say at a bar for getting carded, what’s the bartender going to do, get on the intercom and state “Attention, attention, we have a sex offender in the building”?
Also branding people does the opposite and puts the former offender at risk of being harmed or worse. And the last thing is the most important. How, again, is this not a form of punishment? Is a person who broke into a house 30 years ago still a burglar?
Just skip all this legislation and do what you really want to do and put giant neon signs on the roofs of our houses with an arrow pointing down stating “Beware, a Sex offender lives here”.
You can go to Craig’s list and get a roommate to move in with in Maryland and get an ID and driver’s license sent to your second home.
There is no reintergrating into society with this designation. I’ve been on it my entire udult life. Over 25 years now. I gave up caring. I just carved out my own space to exist and prosper. To hell with society and what they think of me. I could give a flip less these days. What this will do is get someone hurt who makes comments about the registrant when they see the branding in the license. Tell me what a eveyday 18 year old kid will do with that information when they take your ID for alcohol at the Walgreens counter? Or the girl working at the doctor office? They will ostracize you and probaly ask someone to ask you to not come back. That bill won’t help do shit but start more problems. IMO.
pariah
Even though my license just has the State statue (Even a deputy who pulled me over asked me what it meant)
However when I got my license renewed, it must come up in the system at the DMV because when the women handed me my license, she commented at the top of her lungs “SIR, are you aware that you are listed as a SEX OFFENDER on your license?”
I couldn’t have been more embarrassed if I had walked into the place without wearing clothes. And I know she did it on purpose because that seems to be something you would ask in private. what a #$%.
Needless to say I avoid that location and have to drive 20 miles more to get to the next one. (You can go anywhere in the state) if I am going to be called out in public, at least I can do it where no one knows me.
Agree
It has been one of most difficult things to deal with for 15 years. I was with the person who was convicted 15 years by an ex wife. Not only the person who has to register in Florida every 3 months and a visit from a cop every month. It effects my life as well. Still with him whp is now female.
Ede
?? Law enforcement visits every month? Are they on probation? I get just two visits, once every 6 months, even though I have to register every 90 days.
I get every thee months from local pd. Not on paper for over 25 years. They tell me if im not home they can get a warrant. I only go to sheriff twice a year but really every month as i travel and now they tell me i can get a warrant if my flight is delayed. Thats a new one. Used to be id call and then let them know. Again im not on probation or anything. Wish theyd let me know whats what…..
JM
Yeah when I lived in the city limits I got visits 5 to 6 times a week. City cops, sheriff’s office and even the FDLE agents. I did what they wanted and moved. I found moving into NON city limits of a county was a lot better. But in Florida sometimes the sheriff’s departments can be even worse depending on who the sheriff is.
We have an entire list of sheriff’s in Florida who love the tv spotlight for being tough on crime and they love to make “Sex offenders” their prime focus. Like I said I only get two visits a year but if I am not home, they put a Yellow flyer on my front door that states “Sex Offender” and a bunch of compliance stuff in smaller letters.
Why put that so big or on my door at all if I am NOT on probation and have ALWAYS registered? I asked the deputy if that was a law and he said no. I asked him if I had ever given him a hard time, he said no. So why put that on my door, can’t you just call with a blocked # and ask when I am going to be home and again, NO.
Not going to complain because if you piss one of them off, Hell hath no fury like a pissed off cop. I know I use to work with them back in the day. Plus once he finally catches me home, I know I won’t get another visit for at least 6 more months. What is said, if I am not home but my parents are, they get the 20 questions about where I am at etc., which is NONE of the cops damn business, I am not on probation. He has my phone # if he wants to know where I am so badly.
Thought the travel thing was ok u til now. Now its open ended and i go back to reregister the day i come back in person. Im really lost this is new and just dontnunderstand what i can do. Ive never had a travel issue: sometimes they tell me i dont need to but now its for even a day if i leave florida they say. At any time i leave florida i need to register it. Im not on probation or anything it was federal 28 years ago. My home state released me from any reporting and i was never on a public list u til here
JM
Just wait, the more they get away with (Which is a LOT) the more they will take. On the path we are on, we will have to make daily reports of “Where” we have been, “Who” we have been with or around, “Why” we were at those places, “How” did we travel, and “What” were our intentions.
Daily reports perhaps online with probation like conditions. We will have to notify each place we will be there and when we arrive have to ask for the manager that you are in their store and again when you are leaving.
Think it can’t happen? Who thought people who had done their time go retroactively put on a registry that gets more and more restrictive every year since 1997. They slowly sneak in clauses, addendums, updates and changes to each new registry year. And each time a judge basically says “Yeah, not punitive so get out of my court room and stop whining”.
Every month at the end of the month
No probation
Margaret Hawkins is a true warrior. If anyone doesn’t understand what she stated then there is no hope for them.
The article is full of truths, but the majority of people will never even read the article. We are modern day lepers, except they can’t send us all off somewhere like many would like. We still have a few rights. So, we fight because we have no choice. We each have small victories when we get to the next registration unscathed. I make it to Walmart and back without anyone recognizing me as the monster they expect me to be. There in lies the problem. Society expects offenders to be in the shadows waiting for our next victim. They don’t think of “them” to be college graduates, veterans, home owners, business owners, or well liked in our communities. It’s all too much, so much more than I can handle much longer. So what options do I have? Really? I’ll die on the registry, actually that won’t even get me off the registry in Florida. So… What choice are we left with?
Excellent article from a voice of reason.
It is my opinion that the momentum in favor of curtailment of registry laws will continue to grow ONLY if the laws become more and more byzantine. – This pustule of governor sponsored hatred; this government sponsored blacklist will only continue to be challenged if it is seen, publicly, to be highly unreasonable.
Like a pus-filled boil, it must come to a head before being lanced.
Half measures are anathema to our anti-registry cause!!!
One of the dangers of marginalizing a segment of society is the continual introduction of bills and passing of laws which serve no purpose other than elevating a politician’s position and power. It does not matter if it further marginalizes them, they are insignificant. Lauren Book’s rise in the Florida legislature is a prime example.
Delaware house bill 306 has been introduced for no other reason than political grandstanding (look what I have done to protect you) and like residency restrictions and other SORNA adders, will do absolutely nothing to increase safety or reduce recidivism.
How the farce of SORNA continues to be seen as “civil law” instead of “criminal law” when it is nothing but layers of punishment, thereby exposing it to the EX POST FACTO clause in the US Constitution, is beyond understanding.
https://reason.com/2021/05/17/hes-on-montanas-sex-offender-registry-for-consensual-gay-sex-and-the-state-wants-to-keep-him-there/?itm_source=parsely-api
Thought I would share this
Funny that part of the article states
“The decision suggests that states cannot require sex-offender registration based on convictions under outdated and now unconstitutional ‘crimes against nature’ laws,” University of Montana law professor Anthony Johnstone told the Times.”
What about those of us who were “ADDED” retroactively, when there was NO registry when our offenses took place, or when arrested and or when sentenced such as myself. It wasn’t until a week before I was set to be released that the registry took effect.