The Fallacy of Believing the Sex Offender Registry Increases Child Safety
Weekly Update #95
Members and Advocates:
We hope that you and your loved ones are staying safe and healthy as the number of coronavirus cases in Florida and across much of the United States are on the rise.
As the world begins to open up again after the long shut down, we are seeing some inevitabilities happen. Does it surprise anybody that the number of COVID cases is on the rise? I think everyone expected cases to climb as things re-opened, but recognized that other risks, such as risks to the economy or familial relationships, would increase if we didn’t allow people a certain autonomy to make calculated personal decisions in an environment where we recognize that there is no such thing as “no risk”. The reality is; forcing everyone into quarantine isn’t a realistic solution so we need to come up with other ideas.
Ultimately, it has to be left to the individuals to listen to the experts at the Center for Disease Control, apply best practices, and live their lives according to whatever risk tolerance they feel comfortable with. If you are older or have a chronic condition, it might not be good to go out unless absolutely necessary. If you are younger and healthy, perhaps there are better measures to apply, such as wearing a mask and using hand sanitizer compulsively. But no matter what you do, there are still no guarantees, just best practices.
The same holds true for anything. We can avoid the risks inherent in walking out our front door by never leaving the house, but even that is not without it’s risks. Not only the far-fetched risks – like a gas explosion or a plane crashing through your roof – but routine household accidents. According to the Home Safety Counsel, every year more than 18,000 Americans die from accidental injuries that take place in the house, making our homes the second-most-common location, after cars, of accidental fatalities.
Imagine if parents never sent their children to school or never allowed them to participate in organized sports because some teachers and coaches have molested kids? Yes, it’s true that some teachers and coaches have, but it’s a very, very small percentage who have. If politicians and the media made it seem that sexual abuse was an inevitability, no child would go to school or play sports.
That’s what is happening with the registry. Politicians and the media want you to believe that somehow if we have this list of strangers, our children will be safe, but that’s completely wrong and ignores the fact that 97% of sexual assaults are committed by someone NOT on the registry. If anything, it creates a false sense of security. Not to mention the unintended consequences of the registry. How does making a population unemployable and homeless protect children? How does preventing a parent from participating in their own child’s activities not hurt those children whose parents are on the list?
We are only several months into this pandemic so it’s no wonder that there’s a lot of trial and error going on, but we are more than twenty years into this registry. There has been more than enough time to know what works, what doesn’t and what the best practices are. The reality is; the registry hasn’t proven to be a viable solution so it’s time to come up with other ideas.
And… to end this week on a very positive note, we share with you the decision from the entire 4th District Court of Appeals on Senator Lauren Book’s injunction against Derek Logue (click the hyperlink to read it). Sometimes justice prevails!
Sincerely,
The Florida Action Committee
Reminders:
Tuesday Jun 30 2:00 pm ET. There are 7 weeks left in the FAMM and Florida Cares Summer Camp taught by Greg and Denise each Tuesday through August 11th aimed at teaching families and directly impacted folks about the legislative process, bills, candidates and about criminal justice reform in Florida so that everyone can be make the most educated and informed decisions in 2020 regarding their incarcerated loved one and advocate for them in the best way possible. IMPORTANT: You must register for each class and classes are limited so sign up TODAY! ⇢ Link to register for the FAMM & Florida Cares Summer Camp Classes After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Thursday July 2 at 8pm ET- FAC Membership Call with Guest Speaker. Dial 319-527-3487. If unable to connect, text “Call Me” to 319-527-3487. You will receive a call-back and be connected to the conference.
Thursday July 9 at 8pm ET- FAC New Member Orientation Call. Dial 319-527-3487. If unable to connect, text “Call Me” to 319-527-3487. You will receive a call-back and be connected to the conference.
Saturday July 11 from 11am-1pm ET. Family Support Session via Zoom (non-registrants only – intended for family members and others with loved ones on the Registry. Must be FAC member and RSVP to anita@floridaactionactioncommittee.org to receive Zoom link.
Thursday July 16 at 7:00pm -Clay County FL Member call. Dial 605-472-5596 and enter access ID 436675. Your Clay County FAC Coordinators want to hear from you. Discuss the issues, housing, employment, resources and the upcoming elections up in your area. Get Involved.
SOME HEADLINES FROM THIS WEEK
MO: Sheriff’s office turns registrants into social media companies
There is nothing illegal about having a social media account if you are required to register. Since the Supreme Court decided Packingham it is actually unconstitutional to prevent a registrant from accessing social media. Some states (including Florida) require you to…
Presence at church daycare to visit sister gets registrant jail time.
Daniel Walker, was 18 when he was convicted of raping a 17 year old he said was his girlfriend at the time. Fast forward 24 years and he is a 42 year old man who was just sentenced to a minimum of two years and four months in prison and a maximum of five years and…
IL: Illiniois Supreme Court upholds conviction of registrant who entered park to retrieve his own son
You won’t believe the absurdity of this one… The Illinois Supreme Court upheld the conviction of a man who entered a public park to retrieve his son. Patrick Legoo had a 2006 conviction for a sexual offense. A decade later he rode his bicycle into a park to tell his…
Sex Offender Registries Are Fueling Mass Incarceration — And They Aren’t Helping Survivors
The “sex offense legal regime,” which has developed alongside mass incarceration over the last forty years, has failed. US sex offender registries now list nearly one million people. Federal, state, and local ordinances prohibit convicted sex offenders from living…