Sonia Van den Broek’s Powerful Testimony as a Female Sex Offender
Weekly Update 2017-08-08
Dear Members and Advocates,
Yesterday, The Dobbs Wire circulated a series of essays from a female registrant, Sonia Van den Broek about what life is like on the registry. The series was mostly written a couple of years ago, but the first part was written in 2012, in which she wrote; “Status as a sex offender takes precedence in every single situation”. I thought to myself, how right… it permeates every aspect of life, from employment and education, to parenting, to where you are permitted to shop or travel, even to where you are permitted to sleep at night. The negative impact is not only felt by the registrant but by their family, friends, co-workers and anyone who chooses to associate with them.
It’s been five years since Ms. Van den Broek’s first essay. Since that time, in Florida, things have only gotten worse. Among other “enhancements” to our registry, now registrants must report where they go! Both in their travels and where they go online.
Getting a female registrants point of view was, as Bill Dobbs put it, an uncommon perspective on the registry. Another essay with its own perspective on the registry came in a post written by Robert Weiss LCSW this past weekend. Mr. Weiss is a treatment provider who works with registrants. After writing a series of articles on the registry and registration, he received a lot of feedback. He wrote, “these articles generated countless comments and emails – including several from therapists, offenders, and family members of offenders.” He shared some of their feedback, which included ostracism by neighbors and religious communities, nasty treatment by the community and police, isolation and hopelessness. One described it as most of us would; “it’s torture.”
There is one other perspective that you might find interesting… That there’s “nothing burdensome about the registry”. That sex offender registration is like, “filling out one side of one page with the sort of information that you’d put on your application to join the Price Club”. Those are both quotes from now Supreme Court Justice John Roberts as he argued that sex offender registration is not punishment and no more burdensome than filling out an application for price club.
That truly is an uncommon perspective, Justice Roberts. Does Price Club require changes in vehicles be reported, IN PERSON, even if it’s a roommate’s car? Reporting whenever you travel, IN PERSON, in addition to the 2, 4 or monthly re-registrations, which must be done IN PERSON? Does Price Club require you take a half-day off work to wait in line at a police station or jail to fill out their “one side of one page”? Does Price Club post this information online along with your picture and the one worst thing you’ve ever done in your life, for all to see? Are Price Club members prohibited from living anywhere but 3% of the city and are Price Club members removed from their homes or forced to live separately from their spouses? Are Price Club members banned from shopping at Price Club stores which are too close to a playground? Does a Price Club membership keep you from worshiping in the church of your choice, attending your children’s school graduations or sporting events? Will a membership at Price Club prevent you from continuing your education and ensure perpetual under-employment (that’s if you are lucky enough to find anyone to hire you)? OH… and if you accidentally forget something on the Price Club application, do you face five years in prison?
The answer is obviously, no, and to Justice Roberts’ perspective, the registry is nothing like filling out an application to join the Price Club. For those living on the registry and anyone in their lives, it is torture. It is punishment.
In case anyone wants to read the transcripts of the oral arguments in Smith v. Doe, you can find it here. The Price Club argument is there, along with other classic hits, such as his “conclusion that those convicted have a high rate of recidivism” and that “there is no affirmative restraint on motion. There is no confinement. There is no restriction on travel or employment or recreation, no obligation to submit to searches, intrusive supervision or questioning”. All classics and as you read through John Robert’s testimony, which has become a historic piece of fiction, and think about what life on the registry is like for you or your loved one, you’ll get a better understanding of why cases like Doe v. Snyder and Pennsylvania v. Muniz are so important today. For the first time, superior courts are finding the registry IS punishment and when applied to people whose offenses pre-date the imposition of the registry or a specific requirement contained therein, it IS unconstitutional.
In the coming year, the Supreme Court may choose to take up either Snyder or Muniz or we will have our own Ex Post Facto challenge filed here in Florida. Hopefully by now, the Courts will see the registry for what it is and John Roberts’ view will be the uncommon perspective.
New members, please don’t forget to join us this Thursday night for our New Member call, where you will learn more about FAC, our goals and objectives and how you can help put an end to the punishment.
Sincerely,
The Florida Action Committee
SOME HEADLINES FROM THIS WEEK
Public Health and Safety Complaint Lodged Against Forced Homeless Encampment
FAC has reported a public health and safety concern to the Broward and Miami-Dade County Health Departments, the Florida Department of Health, the US Department of Health and Human Services and OSHA. The letter, which can be read below, seeks to end the practice of…
Hundreds of Miami Sex Offenders Live in a Squalid Tent City Near Hialeah
Cradling a heavy box of Budweiser against his flour-dusted apron, Mario Medina clicks open the door and greets two waitresses behind the counter at La Cascada, a retro Cuban pizza parlor in Northwest Miami-Dade. Besides the voice of a sports commentator on the TV and…
San Diego SUED for not repealing SORR
And we called it perfectly! Last week when the city of San Diego refused to repeal their Sex Offender Residence Restriction, we presumed that Attorney Janice Bellucci would be printing off a complaint within minutes… and she was. Yesterday, she filed a lawsuit in…
Landlord to sex offenders in Ware, on registry himself, says safe home cuts risk
The following are excerpts from an article which can be found here. Many of the 23 registered Level 3 sex offenders who live in Ware rent from another Level 3 sex offender who owns several properties and plans to provide a home for other offenders who need help. Upon…