FLORIDA NON-PROFIT SEEKS TO HAVE PUBLIC SEX OFFENDER REGISTRY DEEMED A VIOLATION OF UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS
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FAC Press Release 11012022 – United Nations
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BOYNTON BEACH, FL, November 1, 2022. The Florida Action Committee, Inc. (FAC), a 2,500 member non-profit public safety organization, wants the sex offender registry abolished. They have initiated a petition to the United Nations, seeking to have the registry declared a human rights violation.
Sex offender registries have existed in the United States for more than three decades. Practically every year new legislation is passed to add more requirements and make the rules more restrictive. This has led to increased homelessness, increased joblessness, increased exposure to vigilantism and increased incarceration for trivial technical violations of a system that has become so burdensome it is impossible to follow.
Studies have shown that sex offender registries are ineffective at reducing new or repeat sexual offenses.1 The only effect these registries have had is to stigmatize a population of people and their families, regardless of their offense, regardless of how long ago it was committed and regardless of how successful they have been in redeeming themselves from a past act and becoming a valuable member of their community.
FAC is seeking the UN investigate the registry scheme as a violation of international policies against cruel or degrading treatment or punishment. The petition can be found here:
https://www.change.org/p/public-sex-offender-registration-is-violation-of-universal-declaration-of-human-rights
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Gail Colletta, President
gail@floridaactioncommittee.org
561-305-4959
1 (Zgoba, K.M., Mitchell, M.M. The effectiveness of Sex Offender Registration and Notification: A meta-analysis of 25 years of findings. J Exp Criminol (2021))
I googled how to get your voice hear from the UN. Anyway, this site came up https://www.un.org/ecosoc/en/content/make-your-voice-heard
It shows how your organization can sign up to interact with the council on the UN.
Eugene
It would be even better if one of us could be able to speak in front of the U.N in person. But again, the U.N has influence but cannot force any policy on any country.
From its own site
“Although the UN can make resolutions, it is for member states to implement them. If they choose not to, the United Nation’s power is curtailed.”
It has been brought up previously at the 14th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice.
American Sex Offender Policy Condemned as Human Rights Violation Before the United Nations
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7-zezT91pE&t=6s
Now we are getting somewhere. This exposes the real problem. The US refuses to accept the truth.
I was placed on the sex offender registry at the age of 26 in 1997 after fooling around with a teenager. At the time, I turned myself into the police and confessed after a series of disclosures occured. I was never convicted of a crime after the girls family insisted I not got to jail. I have never been to prison. I successfully completed the terms of my 5 year probation with zero violations. I have now been on the registry for over 25 years and have never had any violations.
Being continually and aggressively shamed by the full weight, authority and power of the State Government of Florida has consistently undermined my ability to live a normal life in terms of establishing a career, feeling capable of having a family, comfortably trusting a church family, being a neighbor, belonging to a civic organization, sharing my art under my name or participating in any number of other normal activities. All of these things have been extremely difficult, and in some cases impossible because of my status as a registered sex offender.
State sponsored character assassination in our hyper digital environment is a damning form of punishment with near endless manifestations.
Over the past 15 years, I’ve observed an increasing stress level in my mind and spirit.
Upon discussing these things with a trusted and informed person, I discovered that I suffer from a type generalized anxiety disorder punctuated with episodic panic attacks. Some of these panic attacks lasted for months apparently.
I treated it with workaholism.
I read about these topics in greater depth and discovered even more about was happening to me.
Sometimes I feel extremely bitter and I startle easy. Tachycardia and heart palpitations have been happening regularly in recent years. I’m distrustful and even paranoid sometimes thinking the worst about something. Hyper vigilance and being oversensitive occur at times as well.
I regularly avoid places, people and situations of all kinds. I feel like I’m getting “run off” sometimes from places for no discernible reason. A panic attack apparently. I leave.
My ability to concentrate is lessening and my memory seems to be impacted as well.
All of this has added up to a type of PTSD outcome for me I believe.
The sense threat and danger that comprise the heart of a PTSD scenario, here being aggressive State sponsored public character assassination in a hyper digital environment, never stops for me as a registered sex offender.
Not only does this sense of threat and danger never stop it also continually expands.
Everyone has Google in their back pocket these days.
These are facts.
I’ve made the best of it and my wife and I have a great life these days. It’s been a longer journey than I anticipated.
I manage the PTSD and anxiety through healthy lifestyle choices. Most of the time I succeed.
But not everyone is so lucky.
This damning path of a life long status on a public sex offender registry is an incredible and deadly burden to bare.
It is most certainly a form of damnation.
Damnation with no forgiveness.
Damnation with no end.
All other criminal classes, murderers and violent offenders included, are not subjected to this type of lifelong shaming, harassment, tracking, endless yearly fines, endless new requirements, endless new punishments and public character assassination aggressively pushed by the government across internet search platforms.
It has now become painfully clear that this is a human rights violation that defies established international norms of criminal justice.
I support the Florida Action Committees strategic pivot in recent weeks to call for the outright ban of the sex offender registry as the good and proper course of action moving forward.
Personally, I will continue to work hard, help others and enjoy life with my wonderful and beautiful wife irregardless of this lifelong punishment and abuse I continue to endure.
God hasn’t brought me this far to drop me on my ass now!
Another fact.
Thank you Florida Action Committee for truly being there and giving us hope!
Thanks for sharing Douglas!
Douglas thank you for sharing all that and putting it so well into words. You really spell out what happens well and to the point with tons of emotion all at the same time.
Together we will all keep up the fight.
Thank you for the positive feedback! I shed some tears writing this one. My wife helped me through it and I feel better having expressed myself.
Douglas
I once heard a sermon years ago and it was titled “Real men cry”.
People who hold things in and try and be tough all the time are more likely to have anger issues and even depression. Having a loving and understanding spouse that stands by you helps as well.
Blessings to you and your family
Thank you Cherokee Jack!
Cool.
Mara Taub
Coalition for Prisoners’ Rights
Santa Fe NM
Please sign on the petition in the link.
I agree with douaglas. Retired medically ex army here did almost 9 years and got out 2013. Charge in 2015 over a POF sting that wasn’t even me but at a party who i thougb was a friend sent explicit picture to undercover and mu life kinda ended again. One career ended was army through injuries and I was in school for aviation maintenance and didn’t know at the time that career and alot were closed to me.
Did 3 years probation and paid my dues monetarily but probation supervision was easier for they give you false sense when your done you can get your life back.
But endless spot checks happen, embarrassing harassment from law enforcement to where neighbors ask why they were they for hours, and when we get pranked by someone trying to get money being officer no help.
I Been diagnosed with ptsd, anxiety, and major depression also have TBI. My significant other notices I was mess on edge years ago out of the military and also less jumpy. I had great hopes in society back then and now it’s hard to keep good outlook everyday. Bitterness, anger, rage, and depression is what I fought coming out of combat but I will say the sanctions imposed on registrants makes combat related stuff I’ve personally encountered minimal to what we are on and have to look over out shoulders with no real end in sight
To Crazy88
Thank you for your service. I was born on a military base. My Dad served for almost 25 years. In stores I see 100 people walk right past a veteran with a hat on stating their service and not one of them says anything. I make it a point to thank every single one I see.
Thank you
This means alot from someone who respect any right they still have under this registry. Know something though when I go register usually the person I get is someone younger in their career of law enforcement. When they see veteran they usually thank me for my service but when they get to retired part the look of either confusion or envy comes over their face. So it’s something to kinda look forward to when I do your twice a year checks. Or at the door during their spot checks.
UCLA behavioral health under military diagnosed me with major depression on way out of army under medical evaluation. With this extra burden it’s been a challenge. Having your life end in ways being on the registry hasn’t helped me, relationship with kids, and also my fiancé well she accepts all but sick of hearing what she calls is the negative. As she says it’s all about the registry and its hard she says being negative so I don’t talked as much around except to let her know wins. Thank you all and FAC for the wins!! Positive things helps
I love this, but can we forward the petition to other groups nationwide that support the cause and ask for signatures? I’ve already sent it to folks I know.
It has been, so far all national orgs that we contacted have committed to promote it other than WAR.
You forgot the part where if Sex Offenders report crimes, especially assualts against them, charges arent filed or pursued by local police, contributing to those crimes that sometimes lead to the continued assault or death of that S.O.
That was not unintentionally omitted. There is limited space in this petition and not all consequences can be included
Fred
Correct, I cannot even get them to come out when our house gets vandalized. We are told to do an online report. The next week a lady down the street had her car broken into and not one, not two, but three patrol cars arrived on scene and spent 2 hours with her investigation, making a report etc.
FAC you are doing a great job! Please keep up your hard work & dedication, it is very much appreciated! I am going to contact WAR and ask why they have not committed.