Sexual offense registries need to go
Melissa Martin (2/28/20) makes an eloquent but often erroneous case in favor of sexual offense registries.
These registries have been in place in every state for 20 to 30 years. Many studies have been done evaluating the effectiveness of them and their contribution to public safety. The results are overwhelmingly negative.
Registries do not reduce re-offense by those who have already offended. Sexual reoffense being high is a fraud that has been perpetuated for many years.
Contrary to Ms. Martin’s negative assessment of recidivism studies, they are found to be highly accurate and consistent. The earliest re-offense study found was in New York in 1944. (https://scholarlycommons.law.northwestern.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=&httpsredir=1&article=3248&context=jclc. P. 324, #6). Re-offense by sexual offenders, measured by rearrests, was 7% after 11 years, and that was when only violent offenders were tracked. The addition of statutory, non-contact, and failure to register offenses lowered the overall rate, but it remains relatively consistent. See a national study (https://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/press/rsorp94pr.cfm) and a compilation of state studies, where available. (https://narsol.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/all_state_reoffense_chart.pdf ) For those who cannot or will not alter their behavior, being on a registry is not a deterrent. The fact that the reoffense rate has held steady over the many years in the single digits, both before and after the emergence of sexual offender registries, is evidence of that.
Amen Amen Amen Amen!!!!
ALL government blacklists are an assault on the US Constitution!
Sandy Rozek of NARSOL wrote one of the best pieces on this subject I have ever seen. I do not have the expertise or clout that Ms. Rozek does, but have responded to her writings in my own “Letter to the Editor” and wait to see if the Portsmouth Daily Times will print it.
Some still might not have read the original article written by Melissa Martin in:
https://www.portsmouth-dailytimes.com/opinion/46789/ohio-sex-offender-registry-needs-to-stay
Ms. Martin is an author, columnist, educator, and therapist.
Without mentioning my name, Martin’s article was in part an attack on me. I also wrote a response but they never published mine. I’m surprised they even bothered to publish a counterpoint at all.
Interestingly, their comment section censors the word sex but there are plenty of nasty comments allowed as long as long as you don’t say sex.
Yes, I noticed the same thing — they kept rejecting my comments with the “s” word that were all appropriately made but allowed absolutely horrific attacks by others.