Tampa Tribune refuses to print FAC Letter

Below is a letter FAC sent to the Tampa Tribune in response to a story they ran last month. We’ve tried to get them to print the letter but they have not, so we are sharing it here:

Dear Editor Tampa Tribune,  In response to the Feb. 15 front page article “Sex offender’s Home a Parking Lot” this is but one of thousands of incidents where residency restrictions and conditions of probation do nothing to make society safer.  The cost to the tax payer for incarceration is 20-30 thousand a year, plus there is no way a person can support the child he has fathered if incarcerated.  Nor can there be any opportunity to be a contributing tax payer rather than a burden.  Multiple reports done by reputable researchers and Institutions are consistent in the finding that residency restrictions are of no value for public safety. Offenses that label someone as a sex offender are reaching the 100 mark. To treat all as the same wastes millions in resources rather than finding ways to focus on those determined to be dangerous. The growing number of those on the registry is over 70,000 in Florida alone and soon to reach one million nationally.  Reliable data from Missing and Exploited Children is that 3-5 % on the registry are at risk to re-offend, leaving 95 % of sex offenses committed by someone who is not on the registry and frequently a family member or someone close to the family.  Also the growing concern with sex trafficking is that young people run away from dysfunctional homes or are offered to predators to support a drug habit.  Resources are much better spent on family services and persons who are found to be predatory in their actions.

Our state law makers are increasingly challenged by the serious problems in the prison system, FDLE and especially Department of Children services.  As citizens we should encourage and support our elected officials to examine better ways to spend tax dollars that will indeed serve to make society safer.   It is time for serious study of the entire registry system and laws that govern those labeled as offenders.  Actuarial risk assessments are a far better gauge for determining public safety issues.  Patty Wetterling,  mother of Jacob after whom the Jacob Wetterling Act is named, has become a frequent spokesperson about the societal ills created by the registry.  The 2013 ATSA National Conference closing keynote featured Mrs. Wetterling.  Among her many statements was: We take everything away from these people and then get mad at them when they do not succeed.”  We might also add we are even angrier if by some small chance they DO succeed!  The following data sums the issue soundly:

Source:  Webinar: Sex Offender Reentry:  Justice Center, Council of State Governments.

Funding by Bureau of Justice and SMART office.   http://whatworks.csgjusticecenter.org

Key Summary Points:

• “We don’t pay attention to things we know can make a difference…such as housing, families and employment!”
• We need to look at what we can do differently!
• The label sex offender implies all are the same. This is not so.  Backgrounds, dynamics, are to be  taken into account.  One size fits all does not work!
• The type of crime really matters.  There are those who are more high risk to reoffend… understanding dynamic risk factors moves from risk management to risk reduction—
• The number 1 approach is to use assessment driven strategies.

During the webinar, the following question was asked of the more than 1000 participants. “On what should legislation be based?” The Legislators’ response was “What they THINK the public wants!”

However much to the surprise of the more than 1000 participating in the webinar, the public response was “They want laws based on empirical evidence!”

IT IS TIME TO LISTEN, LEARN AND CREATE SMART LAWS FOR BOTH SAFETY AND FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY.  IT IS TIME TO DO WHAT WORKS!  EVIDENCE BASED POLICIES PROVIDE FOR SAFER CITIZENS AND SAVE MILLIONS IN TAX DOLLARS!