National Association for Rational Sexual Offense Laws (NARSOL) pushes back against notification process
NARSOL continues to fight against the harsh, barbaric laws that are passed to further punish people on the registry who have served out their sentence and are trying to reintegrate back into society as law-abiding citizens.
Appearing in an article published this week concerning a situation in Illinois where research is not a priority for some policy makers, NARSOL is quoted as saying the following:
“Very solid research validates that community notification of persons required to register on the state sex offender registry actually undermines public safety in that it increases the instability of the registered person in regard to housing, employment, and pro-social community involvement; it increases the risk to the registered person and his or her family from vigilante and harassing activities.” (The Center Square, “Illinois legislator tells prison agency ‘do your job’ on sex offender notification”, Andrew Hensel, October 1, 2023)
NARSOL made the above comments in 2021 when Washington state made changes to its notification process. In a recent post at our FAC site, it appeared that this same Washington state was looking at the current research in making changes to its notification process, but an uninformed public might not be willing to listen to well-documented studies.
Here’s a novel idea:
To a large degree, the government (at all levels) is responsible for the publics current perception of people on the registry. The government should then be held responsible and be required to initiate and maintain a public information campaign to promote the truth. This campaign could have the added benefit of educating the public in the best practice to actually curb sexual abuse.
Money? The requirement should be a punishment because of the government’s period misdeeds. However, the money could be transferred from the registry budget.
160 people were arrested in Ohio for sex trafficking last week and not one of them was on the registry. The arrests included EMT, Nurses, and Former Law enforcement. People are being taught to bark up the wrong tree while there are public officials are doing if right under everyone’s nose.
I am going to register today although nothing except my age has changed in the last 20 years. It is common knowledge now that few laws regarding sex offenders whether at the state level or federal level consider empirical data on sexual reoffending when crafting legislation. These laws are stupid because stupid defined is doing the same thing AFTER you have been schooled on the negative aspects of your actions and expecting a different outcome. Previous offenders lives are impacted by a felony conviction but beyond that, the lives of their families are unfairly negatively impacted by stupid laws. But then this is not about fair. Consider the lives of family members when the victim child has reconciled with an offending parent but then as a family member lives under the stigma of the draconian laws forced on the former offender. Consider the grandchildren of the offender. They too are stigmatized by what grandfather did because not even death stops the layers of shame surviving family members face as the registry lives perpetually on the internet.
If we can’t stop the stupidity, maybe as a baby step we focus on the portion of the stupid law by stupid politicians that puts this shameful and mis-leading information the internet.
DMC>>> I feel your pain an we are all trying to do something about it. As more and more of these laws are challenged it’s the New Jersey one that is going to be big as it will cut the head off the snake. New Jersey is ground zero for the registry an this has already taken out the Megans Law foundation website. If this case can prove ( which it should ) that their laws of informative was punitive it could very well make this SOR unconstitutional on a State and Federal level. See New Jersey is mirrored off of the VCC better then any state. Now Lee County Florida is ground zero for it being an extension of punishment. As they refused to honor the Civil Judgement and made it public when it was ruled not for public notification and more additional punitive things that will come out.
I continue to share about my entrapment situation. It’s gotten to the point where I cheer on the end of the world just so I can be free again.
Philip Padilla:
Jace won his case on appeal, and just recently, in his second trial. You need to learn how he overturned an entrapment case.
Excuse Me but the public is not uninformed but just refuse to accept real scientific studies.
Also on another topic I’m glad to hear that little Charlotte in New York is now safe at home. I’m sure agents spend thousands of hours going through sex offender registry lists, but you notice it wasn’t someone on that list that abducted her rather it was someone that previously been convicted of DUI and so had records of his fingerprints. Maybe that is the list that would be better to publish so everyone could watch out for them.
The cop do not need to inform anyone, Nextdoor seems to be doing a great job of “Outing” us. I was having just minor problems before nextdoor came out but now about 80% of my neighbors have turned against me, even though I have live here now for decades.
There are only 3 families on my street who have lived here longer than me and none that have lived here as long as my parents. I have stood my ground though and most of them eventually move. Too funny, I have done nothing to them for 32 years and yet they move because I won’t LOL. Glad I have such power because I won’t cower.