SMART says the grant money awarded for state sex offender registries is not affected by the number of people on the registry
It has been thought by many of us that the larger the state registry, the more grant money a state will receive.
Almost a year ago, FAC reached out to Attorney General Merrick B. Garland with the U.S. Department of Justice to inquire about Florida’s bloated registry since less than half of the people on our registry live in Florida communities.
The response from SMART is attached.
OK, so that simply narrows down the potential reasons for continuing this deceptive registry. It would appear then that it is simply motivating them to keep the registry as bloated as possible.
Happy Holidays!
So what I’m understanding is that when my son gets out of prison in March and comes back home to Iowa. He’ll still be on the florida registry even though he has to register in Iowa. He’ll be off the Iowa registry in 10 years. But he’ll still be on the florida registry? How the heck is this being allowed? Is there nothing we can do?
Still a bit dodgy on this one. Somehow/someway, I’m sure the state of florida has discovered a loophole and is fleecing the Federal government. And I don’t entirely trust the Federal government’s tracking of the funding.
Perhaps it is in our best interests to petition Garland to impose a more strict policy of updating state registries…? If we heavily impose Federal regulations on such things, states wiould be forced to align with federal rules, which are probably already in place but not enforced. While we’re at it, we should ask for an abolishment.
Plain and simple. If someone leaves the state, was just visiting or especially are dead, they should no longer be on the registry. Additionally, there should be a legal path for removal that doesn’t have so many loopholes that it is un-attainable.
Also, law enforcement should only come to your house for ONE verification unless you have reported you have moved. Other countries are watching how we treat our citizens as we have one of the largest populations of inmates in the free World.
Totally agree with you. I don’t live in Florida I never have. Yet because my wife and I visit relatives and friends for a few weeks once a year I am on the Florida SOR for life.
Mac
Sorry about that, especially for your family as well. These things do not just affect us, but our families as well. Really messed up World we live in. Praying for peace for you and your family, and for all of us under this oppressive scheme.
Cherekeejack
Ahmen, thanks so true my friends and relatives have been kind to us.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but doesn’t the law specifically require registration FOR LIFE? How is that not enough to be removed?
Perhaps FAC ought to file suit against the FDLE on behalf of all dead Florida registrants and their family members (most, if not all, are likely still being harassed). Make it a federal suit, since common sense, fairness, and decency was pushed out of their state courts long ago.
Dustin
F.A.C is not a bank and relies on donations. Donations from people who many like myself, do not work so have no funding. I live with my parents and I get $23 a month food stamps, that took 12 years of applying to get.
Lawsuits cost untold 1000s of dollars as you can see FAC is on round three of the ex post facto donations with each being over $20 grand. Even to get removed from the registry can cost $10,000 with no guarantee of removal. (That is what I was quoted to be removed)
Oh and just my opinion but let’s focus on the alive people on the registry with funding. If I am dead, I do not care if I am still on the registry. I need to be able to help my elderly parents and I cannot do that while being imprisoned in my own home.
One time I had to go rescue them when they were on a trip and I was scared to death the entire round trip I was going to get pulled over and arrested for some made of technicality. The courts need to finally admit the registry is an extension of probation. There, I said it, I feel better now. The truth will set you free.
Does The State of Florida visit more than 1x per year to verify dead sex offenders are still there? They are after all on the list.
DMC
Perhaps they should “Make sure” they are not faking and dig them up and do a DNA test. Wouldn’t want dead people to abscond, afterall, we do not want to scare the public with zombies roaming the streets.
Yes, my post is about as ridiculous as keeping the dead on the registry. It shows they find a way to punish the families after the fact. The pass away person can move on, but their families cannot. Now idiots can continue to harass the families. AND, if that person dies, does the last known address stay on the registry? If so, the new occupants could become the targets, thinking the registered (Deceased) must still live there.
There is a difference between punishment (The time you serve) and down right hate and animosity continuing after you serve your time, and especially after you have passed away. This is evil personified. I know beyound my sentence, I still have to face God with my past, but at least HE forgives and moves past the past.
Good morning boys and girls, welcome to there I fixed it 101.
Can you say “The agreed upon lie”?
There, I fixed it.
Florida supposedly has a sunshine law where any citizen can request the records of bills, laws and ordinances, finances etc.
Would be awesome for us to see the “NON” redacted information on how much funding Florida registry scheme gets each year and how and where it is used.
As former law enforcement, it is striking to me that all these departments say they are short of officers, but there doesn’t seem to be a shortage of registry compliance officers. While our houses are getting broken into, each compliance officer somewhere is harassing 10-20 people a day on the registry.
(My ball park figure of how many they could check on in one 8 hour shift depending on the size of the city/county they cover)
One thing I can assure you is to never take anything smart says at face value..they are notorious for dishonesty..Smart says many things that are proven very false ..Should see what them and angel watch “really” send to foreign country’s and demand foreign country’s not share with you….yes,you read that right..
This is what I meant by misappropriation in my previous post. I believe that somehow that statistical information is being inflated intentionally and misreported. What this does is, (1) it re-enforces the need for more money year after year and bloated budget. (2) It shows a rise in SO activity by skewing or manipulation the statistical data reported, the numbers never reduce. (3) It re-enforces they’re (lawmakers), need to use this money to implement new tactics, strategies and policies to further discriminate. I have read the letter from the SMART office, however I simply don’t believe it or agree with it.
I need clarity and transparency. From my understanding, 50 states receive Federal Grants for the purpose of SORNA. Due to all 50 states NOT having a disproportionate amount of registrants to include those that have failed to be removed, moved out of state, or have died, these grants, per capita/person will not be evenly distributed.
For example, if 8000 registrants are reported to DOJ/SMART Office and 7998 have died, or relocated outside of Florida, I see this as being unfair, unethical, fraudulent, a misrepresentation and a misappropriation of funds, being the grant money. Millions for only 2 registrants? My point, there is no over site. This is and extreme example but I hope everyone sees my point of view.
You are spot on! Everything about this points to corruption. No oversight/free spending government. Suspect or missing corroborating data and reporting. Corrupted state legislature. Under budgeted law enforcement. Fear-based media driving an ignorant public. Impacted citizens that are prevented from voting.
Yep – can’t draw it up any better than that.
Rick
Oh you didn’t get the memo? Being dishonest is fully acceptable as long as it had to do with sex offenders. As former law enforcement myself, there was an accepted sense of lying to get someone to confess, even if it violated their right to remain silent.
When I was arrested, not once, but THREE times I asked for a lawyer. After the third time, the detective told me if I did not confess, he would go to all 4 major news stations and ruin me and my family. When I told my lawyer that afterwards, he just ignored that and let the judge bulldoze over both of us.
*Yes the detective broke me and I even confessed to things he made up just so I could get the Hell out of there. 6 hours of interrogation is insane.
Looking back, it felt like I was in a camp in North Korea being tortured. I am embarrassed to say I was so upset, the only reason he let me take a break is because I ended up going #2 in my pants because I was refused a bathroom break until I confessed.
Celtic
It is funny whenever I read the definition of Ethical.
“relating to moral principles or the branch of knowledge dealing with these. morally good or correct. avoiding activities or organizations that do harm to people or the environment:”
Doctors, judges, cops, Teachers, priest /preachers have all been in the news for lying, stealing, sex acts, and even murder. No one is above the law but those in power can weasel their way out or cover up the corruption with pay offs or with a colleague sticking up for them as a witness that they did no bad deed. Heck even some sitting presidents have been accused of these deeds, all the way back into the olds days. (Think slavery, and some more recent events I won’t go into)
Businesses must keep track of there finances and have them available for review if seen necessary by state or federal government agencies. It appears the federal and state government has no responsibility or transparency in its finances. Why else is it so difficult to pin down the money going into this garbage pit called the sex offender registry.
Oh course SMART, the NCMEC and US Marshalls are going to run interference about the machinations of this boondoggle.
All those agencies benefit from each other BTW.
We are their product, so naturally they’re going to lie, deceive and release misinformation when pressed for accountability.
That is rather amazing. If the number of registrants doesn’t impact the payment, what would motivate Florida to have so many out-of-state and dead people on our registry?
Is it possible that Florida provides law enforcement funding based on the number of registrants even if the Feds don’t?
I sent this information to The Appeal maybe they will look into it.
It seems really suspicious that they just happened to keep out dated information of former residents of Florida on their list. For what reason? The information is not accurate, they no longer live at the location on file since they now live outside of Florida jurisdiction but yet are still subject to the Florida Sorna website, why because of public safety they will claim… how when the person no longer lives there?
It has to be about the money.
Most states have declined to follow Sorna because of the significant cost of implementing the registry, but Florida feels like its duty to go up and beyond what the federal government ask for.
Add on top of that once you set foot in Florida for 48 hours as a visitor you are on it for life. What does Florida gain by listing people who went to see their elderly relatives in Florida? Other states have a path off the registry after so many years however Florida feels its it duty to keep everyone who has ever came here from escaping the registry. Even dead people and people no longer residing in the state are keep on the list as a course of public safety. If anything it creates a false sense of security as it makes the registry an unreliable source of information since the state has no obligation to provide the accurate information.
So why does Florida feel like it must capture every registered listed by other states even if that state no longer requires you to register Florida says that you have to.
It has to be about the federal funding. It smells like fraud.
Is it ego to see who gets the most registry entries regardless of the PRFs status, e.g., dead or alive and where they are?
I just saw on my local news some guys molested several children over several years and he agreed to plead guilty as long as he did not have to go on the registry. The judge agreed.
HOW in the Hell did I and many others get forced on retroactively and did not even exist when I went to court, yet this guy got a break????? AND add to that, we are on for LIFE (most of us in Florida) so how, how, how? This proves something fishy is going on.
Debs
I have a possible answer to why they would keep dead people on the registry. Could it be that they could then count them as none compliant . In so doing they can use that number as a statistic in showing the need for more police action needed , and more money needed to go after non compliant offenders.
Some people just don’t understand how crooked cops and government are.
DAVID
They just don’t way us to REST IN PEACE.
It’s eternal shaming and damnation out of spite. Our legacy is reduced to “true crime” infotainment and historical mug shots on the Internet for all future generations to snicker and guffaw at.
“The amount of funding awarded to each jurisdiction under Byrne JAG is based on a formula that uses the jurisdiction’s overall population and violent crime statistics. The formula does not take into account the number of sex offenders in a jurisdiction’s registry database or on its public registry website”
Here’s how they calculate their thinking for substantial implementation:
Go to SMART SORNA Substantial Implementation (https://smart.ojp.gov/sorna/substantial-implementation)
Then go to Implementation Status (link on the right side)
From there you can read the progress check chart under the progress check link (a PDF in the text) or click FLA on the map to see all FLA related entities and the review of their individual progress.
No where I read did it say PFRs and their numbers.
What I did read in their reply letter is shady justification in using overall pop and their violent crime stats which is a huge umbrella that a lot of people fit under. That is typical gov’t justification that escapes scrutiny based on emotion and would never get cut to avoid appearing soft on those who fit under that umbrella (especially when the feds are borrowing against the future and won’t be around to reconcile it if needed).
Therefore, for those PFRs who are deceased, the families need to petition to get them removed gratis by the state and reimbursed for any fees associated with such action. I once read the state left them on to give others time to read about their passing. Um, usually an obituary is not removed by the family or funeral home once posted and does come up when a name is searched along with any PFR posting so a corroboration can be made the PFR is deceased and no longer needs a PFR registration entry.