Member Submissions
For many of our members, life feels hopeless on the registry and rightly so, but some of our members have survival tips that they would like to share with others. These tips will possibly be of no help to some members, but for the sake of those who could benefit from reading how others have been able to improve their situation, even if only in a small way, please be patient as members share what successes they have been able to achieve while on this insane, punitive registry.
Please send additional successes or survival tips to be posted to media@floridaactioncommittee.org.
SUBMISSION #1
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With regards to having successes, I’ve had a few.
-Law enforcement. I basically take the approach that if I make life easy for them – they’ll make life easy for me. I treat them with respect and courtesy at all times and ask questions and take any steps necessary to prevent alarms or them having to do extra work. My thought is that law enforcement and I have the exact same goal – Do not violate probation/registration. If there is even a 1% chance of violation – then ask. Don’t ever assume.
-I did a lot of research and learned how to start my own business. It’s harder work but at least I didn’t have to worry about doing a background check.
SUBMISSION #2
I am a registered sex offender and have been on the registry since 2013. I have been off probation for 3 years. I have also been diagnosed with Asperger’s.  I had a job for 7 years and got hired at a new job in February. I own my own home. All my neighbors like me and I am getting married on October 13 of 2023. She knows about my status and knows my history and is ok with what I did. That’s hard to do. The best part is that I got support from my loving family.
SUBMISSION #3
I’ve learned who my true friends are.
Out of my former friends, at least one said we could no longer be friends. A few others have quietly backed off and stopped returning my calls. Still others have reached out less frequently, made and kept plans less frequently, been shorter in communication. And some have become “polite persecutors,” as FAC had described.
Yet some have remained fiercely loyal, without hesitating to reach out and consistently unashamed to be seen associating with me.
I finally learned who my real friends are.
And there’s almost no way to tell in advance of a conviction, which friends will be the loyal ones. Some are right-wing, some are left-wing. Some men, some women. Some parents, some childless. Some prominent in the community, some private. Some are even in law enforcement.
So I know on whom to focus my energies and loyalties.
By the way, as someone who’s gotten in touch with his own weaknesses, I can admit that, were the shoe on the other foot, I might be the “polite persecutor” FAC describes. But my conviction has given me the gift of humility.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/convicted-sex-offender-escaped-kansas-132642517.html
Escaped June 30th.
Now 3 months later he’s “a clear threat to the community every day he is not in custody”
MY ASS.
You can’t plead the 5th in registration unless they’re asking you to incriminate yourself in a crime for which you have not been convicted. And the 1st Am concept of registration as compelled speech is a novel one we’ve not used in our court filings (nor has ACLU).
At the risk of appearing to encourage non-compliance: as long as failure to register remains a felony, where is the advantage in NOT registering? Will your civil disobedience be covered approvingly in the press and generate public sympathy? Or will it be reported with the headline, “Sex Offender Arrested for Refusing to Comply With Registration Laws.” Or, most likely, will it be ignored while you sit in a cell separated from your family?
Really think about this stuff guys.
Thanks for your reply Jacob.
I do not believe anything a person forced to register attempts to lessen the burden will be looked on with favor by the media or general public.
I believe the Supreme Court rulings regarding the 5th amendment have provided that you can refuse to participate in any police questioning, as long as you inform the officer that you are exercising your 5th amendment right. I could be wrong, and will do my best to find those cases. If you can find cases to the contrary, I would be very interested in listening to the oral arguments and reading the decision.
Thank you for your assistance.
Ok Cherokee lets all try to get some understanding about this hopelessness or is this so called Christian nation falling apart. If one would just look up or even open their eyes to see how punitive this registry is in many circumstances and issues we all face than one can look at this as a type of learning for those in high places. Example if you fall down what do you do.. answer you pick yourself up.
Are we all like greedy dogs. Their is even a verse in the bible about greedy dogs…I will let you all look that one up. As far as victory, Man doesn’t get any victory. It is your right to stand up and challenge this. Just like FAC, those in California and if you have to go to court over it, even to get this punitive shaming erroraced from you than do it as that is your choice and constitutional rights. Their is a difference in bearing the sword in vain.
Seems many of you all on here have had big brother government mislead you in many ways with this con game of enticement. God doesn’t play games. Mankind may play their game in this unjust saga of the registry on many of these hopeless issues but one can either stand or fall or just play chicken and let others go to bat for you in Florida or where ever. Never give up hope, faith, or charity.