Misconceptions about the Sex Offender Registry & a Timeline of Laws Added without Evidence to Support them
(Weekly Update #174)
Dear Members and Advocates,
There are many misconceptions about the sex offense registry. One would be hard pressed to find a Florida legislator who is familiar with all of the statutes and ordinances that pertain to people in our state who are forced to register.
I have found that most people are shocked when they learn of the draconian conditions that non-offending registrants must live under. I know I was.
We all agree that we might not be able to have any influence over the way a legislator votes, but we can at least make sure that they can never say that no one ever told them that the registry in Florida is a lifetime of punishment for those people whose names are on it and are now law-abiding citizens.
Our Florida legislators cannot go from one year to the next without trying to pass meaningless bills to put further burdens on registrants and depriving them of having a second chance at life, mainly to garner votes based on lies.
The FAC timeline (shared on our August membership call) of the yearly additions of Florida statutes that are constantly increasing the punishment needs to be shared with EVERY Florida legislator. PLEASE, PLEASE share this timeline with some of our legislators before the next session that runs from January 11, 2022 through March 11, 2022. Click Here to Download the Timeline or this shorter version of the timeline.
It would be more effective to enclose a letter with this timeline as a way of explanation. Try to include some of the following information in your own words:
- You are sharing with them the history of the statutes that Florida has passed almost yearly to further punish people on the Sex Offense Registry who are now law-abiding citizens.
- Mention that the timeline shows how the number of statutes has grown from three in 1997 to fifty-two this past year, making the registry no longer just a help to law enforcement but a continuing punishment for thousands of people in the state of Florida who learned their lesson and are not breaking any laws.
- Acknowledge that there are some dangerous people on the registry who need to be closely monitored, but they are in the minority.
- Unlike other crimes, all research shows a low sexual recidivism rate for people who have been caught committing a sex crime and have served time in prison.
- Encourage the legislator to support having the state use empirically validated risk assessments (and not the offense) to focus only on the truly dangerous people on the registry.
Use the links below for a list of Florida legislators and their contact information, or request a copy of the list from your FAC County Coordinator:
Click here for the 40 FL Senators
Click here for the 120 FL House Representatives
As an added note, our media articles and research at our website (under Media) have been updated and will continue to be updated.
So that we do not send duplicate timelines to the same legislator, there will be a post on our website for people to list the legislator(s) to whom they are sending the timeline.
If you are able to read this Weekly Update but do not have access to the internet, please mail copies of the timeline to legislators and do not worry if there are duplications. We need for the Florida Legislature to be flooded with copies of this timeline.
We have more power as a unified group of people than I think we are sometimes aware.
Sincerely,
The Florida Action Committee
Reminders:
Housing and Employment Opportunity for the Right Person – Male, Female, or Couple. If you enjoy water life, you are comfortable in modest housing, and you are willing to work hard, then you may be the right person for this opportunity. An FAC advocate and owner of a Koi Fish farm in Northwest FL is looking for help. The job provides a 28-ft mobile home with utilities and base pay, located on their 3-acre family farm . It involves raising Koi fish and pond plants, shipping them to various locations, and occasional diving expeditions in the Gulf area (when qualified). There is a 90-day trial period. If you have an interest in applying, please call 833-REPEAL, Option 1 or email membership@floridaactionactioncommittee.org . We will forward your information to the local County Coordinator to set up an interview with the business owner.
Housing is Needed – We receive calls daily from members looking for housing. If you have housing to rent or purchase, please contact email membership@floridaactioncommittee.org or call 833-273-7325, option 1. We will only share the information with the FAC Outreach team and the County Coordinator in your area.
November 4 Thursday at 8:00pm ET – Special Monthly Membership Call via Zoom. Topic: PTSD – Analysis of Research Study. Guest Speaker: Dr Jill Levenson. The Zoom link and phone number will be provided before the meeting.
November 8 Monday at 7:00pm ET – Fearless Group Meeting. Peer-led Support group – You are Not Alone. Call. Dial (727) 731-2927. Join in the discussion with peer leaders Daphne and Don. Contact daphne.fac@gmail.com or call 321-754-0446. For more information see Fearless Group Post.
November 11 Thursday at 8:00pm ET – New Member Orientation Call – phone 319-527-3487. Ask questions about the organization, share resources, discuss local issues and learn about volunteer opportunities. If unable to connect, text “CALL ME” to same number to receive call back and be joined to the meeting.
Need to Talk? FAC has peer volunteers that are here to talk one-on-one, call 904-452-8322. Volunteers are not available 24/7 but you will receive a call as soon as possible. If you have an emergency, call 911, or helpline at 1-800-273-8255 or a crisis center (Listing of Crisis Centers and Hotlines)
RECENT POSTS
Over 100 arrested in Florida human trafficking investigation
More than 100 people have been arrested in a Florida human trafficking investigation that focused on victims who might be forced into prostitution, a sheriff said Thursday. The arrests were the culmination of a six-day undercover operation that involved several law…read more
ACSOL: Take action in response to proposed changes to SORNA
From ACSOL: The purpose of this email is to alert you that the proposed federal SORNA regulations are now moving forward after receiving approval from the Office of Management and Budget. Below is an article that I have just written about this and I hope you will not…read more
Senator Westerfield on Criminal Justice Reform: Solution Lies in “Data and Not the Emotions”
Kentucky Senator Westerfield says that lawmakers “need to rely on data to form big-picture policy decisions instead of forming policy based on knee-jerk reactions.” He pointed out that we cannot keep making these same knee-jerk decisions that have made us the country…read more
Can Victims’ Rights Go Too Far?
Yes, they can and have, one reason being that Marsy’s Law is vaguely written and makes it more difficult for those accused to defend themselves. The definition of victim has been expanded, even to some misdemeanors. A person does not have to experience harm directly…read more
Fear vs. Fact on Halloween By Derek W. Logue
Media fearmongering over “Registered Sex Offenders” in the community has become an annual Halloween tradition in the same way as razor blades and poison in candy. Wendy Murphy (who famously stated she “never met a false rape claim” during the Duke Lacrosse case)…read more
Lots of targets for Media Blitz Phase 2 or Phase 3. Opportunities are so numerous.
These are GREAT talking points, FAC.
Really appreciate the focus and discipline of our letter-writing volunteers.
Speaking of themyriad of laws, has FAC undertaken the monumental task of trying to list the municipalities with ordinances that go beyond the state restrictions?
I only recently lrearned we have a somewhat similar issue in Nebraska. Although Nebraska does not have statewide residency restrictions, the state legislature allows local ordinances but set a limit for local restriction laws to 500 feet. So we have communities as small as 400 people with such ordinances in place.