Petition to Declare Public Sex Offender Registration in the United States a Violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)
Today, approximately one-million people in the United States are forced to register as “sex offenders”. The label leads to stigmatization, separation from society, loss of employment, loss of housing and even exposure to violence at the hands of vigilantes. The stigmatization extends to the spouses, children, family, friends, employer and anyone that associates with the registrant. The isolation, shame, stress, fear of violence, loss of income and other psychological effects are experienced by the entire household.
It’s a wonder that people who serve significant amounts of dead time don’t simply give up and become problems inside the prison. Why be on good behavior? Why not make them put you in isolation until the cost forces them to find you a place to live?
I don’t know how it is in other states, but in Michigan, if you cause trouble in prison, you get written a misconduct report. Not only do you lose disciplinary credits, you also get points that when accumulated, raises your security level. A person serving time in Michigan as a level I has it much better off than one in a level IV or level V. Most people in higher levels are doing a serious amount of time and some of them won’t hesitate to shank someone doing time for a sex crime. Prisoners in level I aren’t doing much time or pretty much have one foot out the door and aren’t going to do anything to jeopardize their parole.
14:50 There you have it, a LE idiot (sorry for the language) who finally has taken their stupid logic to its natural conclusion: Sex offenses create victims, who are are then more likely to become our next sex offenders. People in this county should be able to easily get this clown out of office by posting this clip with the tagline, “Sheriff _____ thinks sexual assault victims are our future sex offenders”. Good job! When they fire you in your home state, I’m sure there’s a job waiting for you in FL.
As I said in a comment that might not get published, we coddle the young victim and NEVER tell them to “get over it” because that’s “victim shaming”. But when the young victim is an adult and hasn’t gotten over it and carries out a similar offense, then suddenly we “blame” them by saying they “should’ve known better”.
The hypocrisy of our society is astounding!!!!!
I have a lot of issues with these “documentaries” regarding this topic.
I’m probably not gonna get my comment published but whatever. Someone’s gotta say it like it is even if it means being censored for it. So here goes…
Sheriff Mendrick is a blatant liar. And he knows it. He bought into that “frightening and high” recidivism crap. He wants the proverbial pat on the back from the locals. He comes off like the kid who was bullied in school and now he’s the bully. He also speaks as if there was never a sexual offense PRIOR to the existence of the registry. And also speaks as of the registry existed since the beginning of time. I can’t stand when people talk in this manner. HOW MUCH EMPHASIS DID THEY PUT ON SEX OFFENDERS BEFORE THE REGISTRY?? Let’s ask the unasked questions for once.
Can these documentaries ever acknowledge that all offenses dealing with sex are NOT “assaults”? They never talk about those WILLING teenagers who hook up with older people. And by older, I mean anywhere from 2 yrs older and up. Not just “older” the way most people assume. The interviewer should have brought this up.
If I were the interviewer, I would have questioned the religious faith of these cops and politicians. Since so many people on both sides of the political isle like to hide behind their “forgiveness and redemption” tag line.
Why don’t these documentaries ever press on about the issues of someone who was sexually abused as a child being “messed up” and carrying out offenses in their adulthood? Why do we coddle the victim in their youth, SAY they’re gonna be “messed up” from the incident, then PERSECUTE them when they act out on the “messed up” we said they would be? It’s as if we expect people to not act out on things that were done to them, yet we will say someone is “victim shaming” when we tell people it’s time to get over it after years have gone by. When we tell someone they “should have known better” even though that same thing happened to them as a child, we ARE ESSENTIALLY SAYING “get over it”. Duh. Well, if they aren’t able to get over it, what makes us assume they won’t also commit an offense BECAUSE of it?
So there’s my 2 and 1/2 cents on this. Let’s someone do a documentary on this topic and not hop, skip and jump around ALL the different types of “offenses”.
I like what you have said 100% and I completely agree.
Politicians jump around the truth because if the truth got out than a good 3/4 would be out of a job. They don’t care,they do what is necessary to get elected and stay in office.
I remember as a kid growing up I have never seen or heard of sex offenders or anything of there crimes on TV news or papers. Now that I am older I see and hear more and more about sex offenders. Watching this vid. Always reminds me that politicians will do or hurt or destroy who or what ever to get elected. They will bend and distort the truth “They will lie”.
As a sex victim of my father and a sex offender I can definitely relate and I will say this the “Sex Offender Registry”
Does not prevent crime it is only a tool for politicians to keep the public in fear. Again this comes back to the “Real” truth. Politicians will do/say what ever it takes to get elected and stay in office.
And I will repeat myself again, I agree with your 2 1/2 cents it is the right thing to say.
you are spot on. the entire thing is an emotional game play with zero relativity and no facts. There isn’t one argument used to support and the registry that doesnt apply to every single situation that is deemed illegal.if facts were told it would apply MORE to every other situation then “sex crimes”.. Drunk drivers,assault,murder,arson,jaywalking, speeding,not wearing a seatbelt ect.. Why do they only apply it to the “sex crimes?” 1) Because we live in an Elizabethan era society that while sex sells is it is also the most taboo of topics..”cover those table legs lest men fly into sexaul frenzies”…it is so ridiculous the panic on sex that even though the states cant even agree on what they want to make criminal. BUT they do agree if one says its a crime they all will punish you for life over it..The population love having someone they can enslave and demean so it works. 2) they dont do it for anyone else because they lock up so many people for other things there would be a revolt the likes of which would exceed the civil war if everyone else was also included in what they want to do to you..
Please help me send the research to Sheriff James Mendrick at:
Sheriff James Mendrick
501 N. County Farm Rd
Wheaton, IL 60187
Who are you asking for help? Are you looking for a volunteer for the education committee?
I thought overall they did a good job with the documentary. Yeah, the sheriff is totally uninformed on the subject and just spouted what he needed to make political points. But some very important points about the registry were made. That was particularly poignant coming from the victim/survivor.
I was very disappointed that the SO emailed a picture of his penis. Just like I’m disappointed when an SO decides to reoffend. Even if the picture went to a producer by accident, why would someone take a dick pic and send it to anyone? That may be the only takeaway for some people watching the video. It only reinforces the stereotype that SOs are unredeemable sickos no matter how they appear on the outside. I don’t blame the documentary crew for including that vignette. Journalistic objectivity would probably demand it.
I appreciated the female victim for seeing the humanity in registered persons and for speaking the truth that registries don’t work.
I was disappointed that Aishiff refuses to admit his guilt and for sending that picture to the producer. I don’t buy his claim that it was a mistake because he shouldn’t even have pictures like that in his phone. Not only that, how could it have been a “mistake”?.
I don’t keep pictures in my phone or computer that I wouldn’t want others to see. Whenever I send a work email with an attachment or a text with an attachment to a friend, I always sheck and double check to make sure that’s the attachment or picture I’m intending to send. There can never be a “mistake”.
All in all, it was a very informative production that was truthful.
But I still stand by my statement that registries need to be abolished.
So I didn’t manage yet to watch it all, but just seeing the way the sheriff voiced his opinion, and the nasty comments left on YouTube. It’s clear, that many people have no remorse for us, would rather we serve life, or worse be executed. The sheriff I could tell, was closed minded, uninformed, or simply spitting false statistics. The sheriff also contradicted himself with an oxymoron, when talking about the numbers going up before coming back down, and how the number of CP related cases are rising, but actual human victims cases are probably going down. How could human cases go down? When minor’s are charged, when more CP is being produced, when victims don’t tell anyone, when new cases of unregistered people are charged, etc. If the laws really did anything to prevent this, than show the actual statistics! Alot of society is fine with what we got, and will probably never change their minds, just like the sheriff!
Of course I applaud any outside organization who would devote a 45 min documentary to our cause. But time and time again it’s this theme of trying to evoke sympathy and compassion from the average viewer and that just doesn’t work. I dont care if you don’t like me or forgive me and luckily that doesn’t have to happen in order for me to be afforded my constitutional rights. THAT’s what the overall theme and message should be: the UNCONSTITUTIONALITY of these laws; the illegal ways in which sex offenders are treated compared to every other person in the judicial system. In America neither the mob nor the victim get to decide punishments. If that were the case, there would still be slavery in the South.
I’ve always believed that if the public thinks we’re so horrible and dangerous then put us in prison for life because on that logic this stupid registry and its regulations aren’t going keep anyone safe from such a “dangerous” person. Pushing that narrative would force the system to stop lumping us all togehter. But above all, I do not care if the public likes me or feels sorry for me or has compassion for me. My story is none of their business. The Constitution does not require compassion or understanding on the part of the public in order to function.
It doesn’t elicit sympathy when these well-meaning reporters continue to use demeaning language like “sex offender” and emphasize the past record, and of course the results are negative. I’ve been denied media interviews and published OpEds because I refuse to allow them to drudge up my past. It has been over 20 years ago! Even this story wanted to talk about the interviewee’s case.
I don’t know, I was molested, raped multiple times & not a sex offender. But I recently saw a docudrama on tv that showed this man, who I’m not sure they got into his past, but right after he got into prison the first time, he asked for help. He said there was something wrong with him from the time he was a child and he wanted help. He pleaded for it. He asked to get into this rehabilitation program and for some reason his name was never added and he didn’t get in.
He instead served his time and then came out and did terrible things.
It just bothered me. As sad as I felt for the victims, I also had compassion for him.
Our entire ciminal justice system needs to be overhauled.
Especially with first time offenders, there needs to be an emphasis on rehabilitation over punishment.
As far having to register as a sex offender, it depends on the seriousness of the crime, I think. If it’s statutory rape, if you are only 2 years apart in age & it wasn’t forciple rape between partners, no.
If it is molestation, sexual assault or rape, yes.
But just with a parole officer, not a public registry. I do think victims have a right to know where the offender is, but that’s it. I think letting the public know and stigmatizing sex offenders is not the way to go. That is just going to cause fear and hate, duscrimation and violence. And under such social stress, the offender is more liker to reoffed. I think they should continue their recovery process and be on probation. And yes, if they have sexual abuse charges regarding pedophilia, there should be rules in place, but what they are, I can’t say. Having been on probation, just for shoplifting at a young age, I can tell you they keep a very good eye on you and yes special measures should be taken to protect the public & of course, never should an offender be allowed to live near his previous victim. But the other protections, so to speak, I can’t say.
We keep violent people we control in cages 23/7, but they end up mutilating themselves and it often ends in suicide.
Having been in jail as a psychiatric pod, we were kept 24/7 in cells of 2 on the floor, on mats, so we couldn’t strangle ourselves. It took me 2 weeks before I saw the Dr and a week more to get psychiatric medication I was on. And of course, any benzodiazapine you may have been on is just cut cold turkey, regardless of the dangers. If you do have a panic attack, such as I did, you get the restraint chair for 3 hours.
And this is just in pre-trial detention. I haven’t been proven guilty of anything. Mental health care and rehabiliation should be number one in any jail or prison & it’s just not.
As I said, the system needs to be completely overhauled.
I believe in early intervention when a child is showing signs of any abnormal behaviors emotionally. As I said, I do believe in rehabiliation, but I also believe in biology and I can’t say I have all the answers, especially if a biological psychopathy showing violence is diagnosed early in a child, and I believe in some children, this is just so.
Just some of my thoughts….