Reforming Florida’s Sex Offender Registry Laws
The only recognizable pattern in the Flagler County Sheriff’s jail bookings day after day for a year and a half has been the daily batch of redacted names reflecting the local agency’s detention, on behalf of federal immigration authorities, of migrants who may be deported. Three days ago, another pattern emerged: arrest after arrest of sex offenders charged with failing
Read moreFlorida’s expanding plate-reader network, broad information-sharing rules, predictive tools, biometric surveillance, and public mugshot portals have outpaced the safeguards meant to constrain police power. On August 26, 2026, Gov. Ron DeSantis made a striking admission: automated license-plate readers, including cameras operated through Flock Safety, had become “out of control.” He still defended giving police effective investigative tools. But, he added,
Read moreI must admit, when I saw the title, “Stop Predator Dumping Act,” I got hopeful. Someone might finally want to put safeguards in place to prevent “dumping on” people forced to register. Stop the vigilantism! Stop the shaming! And stop treating human beings like hazardous waste! But I was wrong. U.S. Congressman George Whitesides (CA) is proposing legislation to address
Read moreFAC retained Dr. Kelly Socia as one of our experts in our recently filed lawsuit challenging (among other things) Florida’s sex offender residency and proximity restrictions. Dr. Socia is a Professor in the School of Criminology and Justice Studies and a Fellow for the Center for Public Opinion at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell. He is the author of 50+
Read moreThere’s a an interesting new study published in the International Review of Victimology that takes a closer look at an assumption that has shaped sex-offender policy for decades: that public registries exist because victims and survivors want them. The study, performed by Kelly Richards of Queensland University of Technology in Australia came to a surprising conclusion. The participants’ views were
Read moreHere’s a good decision from the Kansas Supreme Court that touches on a question many of us have been asking about… these registration fees. What happens if you can’t afford them? [NOTE: This is Kansas, not Florida, but still a good indication of how judges might think.] In State v. Sims (August 14, 2026), the Kansas Supreme Court unanimously reversed
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