KYMA and Jenny Day take third crack at article and still get it wrong
Yuma, Arizona’s KYMA and reporter Jenny Day have now taken their third crack at an article that garnered strong reaction from the advocacy community and from experts in sex offender treatment and research.
This third try (which can be read here) still bears the title “Released to Reoffend” implying persons on the registry are being released to inevitably reoffend and also still contains the false statistic attributed to “Amberly’s Place”, only now it includes a walk-back of the 99% statistic and some additional (more accurate) sources.
Still, the article cherry picks statistics from offenses that have a higher rate of recidivism than average as well as people diagnosed with pedophelia, but fails to concede that most on the registry do not fall into those categories and the OVERALL rate of recidivism for ALL people on the registry is definitively less than their original claim of 99%, still less than their cited current rates for the most serious offenses and actually in the single digits.
It’s still not good enough and it does not undo the damage caused by their first version which implied that all on the registry (aside from 1%) will inevitably re-offend.
What we want are two things; first an apology for the article and a retraction – whether Umphress was misquoted or editors didn’t fact check the story before going to broadcast, this was irresponsible journalism; second, another article based on information taken from actual experts. not anecdotal opinion. KYMA needs to look no farther than ATSA for a referral to one.
The overwhelming majority of those on the registry were not “released to reoffend”. MOST were released to live lives as good citizens in their communities, productive members of society and valued family members. It’s what we all should want them to do. Articles like KYMA impede that.
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My response to those advocating the registry, restrictions on places of residency and the many other supervision requirements being imposed on free man is simply this. The unregistered pedophile larking within your family or circle of friends is by far the greatest threat to your child. This is an undeniable fact.
As for me, I am a free man living in a free society. My success and failures are mind and mind alone. I am unbound except for my self-imposed limitations. As a free man I am guided by my conscious and the understanding between Right and Wrong. No Government imposed regulation will prevent a free man in a free society from doing wrong.
Absolutely correct.
Further, Registries are of no use at all. It doesn’t do me any good in any way to know that one of my neighbors is listed on the Registries and another is not. I don’t know which of them has committed more $EX crimes. I don’t know which of them is more dangerous to my family TODAY. I certainly don’t know which of them might shoot my child with a gun! Or drive drunk with my children in their car and murder them.
I can’t treat either of those two people differently. Just because one of them is not listed, I’m not going to let my children hang out with him. And I could let either of those people babysit my children without issue and with the risk not being significantly different. Because I just don’t know who has or could do what. The end.
If Registries were used ONLY so that people were “informed”, and ALL other Registries that must exist did (e.g. Gun Offender Registries, Impaired Driver Registries, etc.), then maybe/possibly/conceivably we good Americans could consider if it is worth it to waste piles and piles of limited resources on them. Maybe.
But we’ve all proven that we can’t responsibly have and use Registries. No American will ever think they are acceptable.
What about the people that are on that registry and have spent time in prison through a plea deal because of the fear that was put in them by the police and others in power. All because of someone getting pissed off and pointing a finger…That is all it takes. there is no such thing as being innocent until proven guilty. It is guilty with no chance of proving innocence. No DNA no physical evidence. you are just guilty and you are sentenced to a life sentence.. Even though it was a specified number of years. It is a lifetime sentence and don’t ever forget it.
I have taken them to task as well and have sent them many stats that prove they are wrong. Glad I’m not the only one taking them o task.Wish I had the money to go to Arizona, I’d go to the station in person.
hummm several cracks at it and still did not get it correct and use a headline opener that would open eyes from incorrect false statements. this company knows wtf they are doing i hope they or their kids end up on the hit list!!!