For those people who have asked for guidelines on what to send to the members of the newly appointed Florida Safety & Justice Task Force, I am posting my thoughts but would also like for others to add their own ideas in the Comments’ Section along with any research that you feel these members should be aware of.
I will not be putting out a specific template as they have proven to be ineffective. What we send has to be individualized.
- Whatever you send, make it brief. I will personally be sending only one issue/concern per single mailing. If you send too much information, people tend to skim over it, missing important details. Make your comments half a page or less. You can give a short summary of what the research or article says along with a link or enough information that the recipient can find the actual study/report/article. You can also send the report as long as it does not violate any copyright laws.
- People do not tend to listen to other people’s concerns unless a name is attached to the letter, along with contact information (email address, physical address). I am getting better results if I use my name. I realize this is a problem for many of our members, and I truly understand and am not asking anyone to do anything to jeopardize their situation. If the only way you feel comfortable contacting these task force members is through the mail without giving your return address or name, then do so.
- A hard copy (letter sent through snail mail) is usually more effective than using email. It is too easy to delete an email; the old-fashioned letter could sit on their desks for a longer period of time. Address the envelope by hand, making it more personal and showing more effort. Again, though, if the only way that you want to send the information is through an email, then please do so. I could not find emails for all five members, so please send any additional email addresses that you find to [email protected].
- For those who are willing, please send one letter/email approximately every two weeks to all five task force members, until you have covered all the topics that you want the members to be aware of before making their recommendations this summer.
- It is okay if more than one person sends the same information; the task force members will understand that more than one person is concerned about the need for a particular reform.
- Research and articles can be found at the FAC website in the dropdown menu for Media. Additional research can be found under Resources (then chose “Articles and Studies”) at the NARSOL website (narsol.org). If you have additional research/articles that you would like to send for consideration for being added to the FAC list, please send them to [email protected].
- You can also share your concerns and comments without including research, hoping that the task force members have the common sense to relate to your circumstances.
Here are some topics that I personally hope this task force will look at, while many of you will have additional topics that you can include in the Comments’ Section for us to add to our list:
- Residency restrictions
- Numerous county/municipal ordinances on top of state statutes
- Branding driver’s licenses
- Proximity statutes/ordinances passed by the state of Florida and local districts
- Ineffectiveness of the registry
- The need for empirically validated risk assessments (which are not based on the offense) to remove law-abiding citizens from the registry
- Low sexual recidivism rate for people with a past sex offense
- At least 90% of future sex crimes will be committed by people not on the registry
- At least 93% of minor victims know their perpetrator, debunking the “stranger danger” myth
- The different offenses that can land a person on the registry
- Bloated registry
- Posting of signs in registrants’ yards
- Collateral damages of the registry
- Registry is punitive
- Justice Kennedy and the stranger danger myth
- What does work
- Aging registrants denied access to nursing homes
- Registrants being denied access to emergency shelters – must go to local jail instead
- Your own story
Members of task force:
- State Attorney Andrew Warren, Chair (Hillsborough County/Tampa)
- Public Defender Carlos Martinez (Miami-Dade County/Miami)
- Sheriff Walt McNeil (Leon County/Tallahassee)
- Marcia Brown, Executive Director, Teen Leaders of America (Duval County/Jacksonville)
- Asha Terminello, MS; Chief Executive Officer; ACTS, the Agency for Community Treatment Services (Hillsborough County/Tampa)
Contact information:
Mr. Andrew Warren
419 Pierce St
Tampa, FL 33602
[email protected]
Mr. Carlos J. Martinez
1320 NW 14th Street
Miami, Florida 33125
305-545-1600
[email protected]
d[email protected]
Sheriff Walt McNeil
Leon County Sheriff’s Office
P. O. Box 727
Tallahassee, FL 32302
850-606-3300
[email protected]
Marcia Brown
13720 Old St. Augustine Rd, #8-123
Jacksonville, FL 32258
904-419-8336
[email protected]
Asha Terminello
4612 N 56th St.
Tampa, FL 33610
813-246-4899
[email protected]
Meanwhile, people NOT on the registry are the ones to watch. The following article points out that a NFL star now stands accused of exposing his genitals near a Florida schoolgorund where children frequently congregate. Exposure of sexual organs is typically considered to be a sex offense by Florida authorities.
Browns’ Malik McDowell arrested in Florida for public exposure, attacking an officer
https://www.foxnews.com/sports/browns-malik-mcdowell-arrested-florida-public-exposure-attacking-officer
This task force was not formed at the request of the Governor/State but rather the Florida Democratic.
From the website, “The goal is to develop model policies for cities and counties, then work with local leaders to implement them to improve the effectiveness and fairness of law enforcement agencies, prosecutor’s offices, and the criminal justice system as a whole.”
As the website states, these policies will be enacted at the City/County level. While it might be worthwhile to discuss Residency restrictions and other county/municipal ordinances, sending them comments on registry itself will have no effect on it whatsoever.
Whoa if the task force is for city/county policies only then that changes everything I was thinking of telling them.
This task force has been assigned to help bring Florida’s justice system into the 21st Century. That involves the following:
• To develop COMMON-SENSE SOLUTIONS AROUND CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND POLICE REFORM THAT IMPROVE SAFETY FOR FLORIDA FAMILIES AND RESPECT THE RIGHTS OF EVERY CITIZEN.
• This task force will lead a statewide conversation that brings forward the best ideas, all focused on building a CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM THAT IS LESS WASTEFUL AND MORE EFFECTIVE AT KEEPING OUR COMMUNITIES SAFE.
• This task force will focus on tackling the root causes of criminal behavior and MINIMIZING RECIDIVISM.
• Their goal is to develop model policies … FOR THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM AS A WHOLE.
• They will focus on making our COMMUNITIES SAFER AND OUR SYSTEM MORE FAIR AND EFFECTIVE.
No one has ever stated that this task force was formed by the governor or state. This has nothing to do with politics. The Democrats are willing to start this much needed conversation. I hope the Republicans will follow suit.
If the change has to start in the municipalities and counties first in order to make changes at the state level, I do not have a problem with that.
Everyone needs to be educated – not just the Florida Legislator and DeSantis.
I am working on getting information to these five task force member on the recommendations recently made by the American Law Institute; another FAC member has sent the timeline showing the exponential growth of laws in Florida that are punishing thousands of law-abiding people; one remember recently posted the letter with accompanying research he sent to this task force; hopefully, you will join us in sending information that this task force needs to read before making their recommendations.
We cannot afford to let an opportunity like this pass us by. This project has everything to do with registrants, and we do not want to be left out.
I hope FAC lets me ask a question to Cheeokee or this Lady Justice myth, or any others… How would you go about catching a sex offender, would it be by computer, door to door canvasing of the neighborhood or say milk carton’s or would one just wait in this political affair. I am sure women are involved in this offending just the same as men I am sure public safety is good but it seems the ends don’t justify the means.
Out of state who finish their sentence should not have to re-register in florida even under 1 Conviction in any State in America
When sentence is completed it is finish for the registrant. And shoul never be consider the name sex offender that is uncostituiinal
Yes Luis….Flori-Duh basically keeps your name on Their Hit List FOREVER!—-, even after you die-your name is still on the Hit List for a Year-The State of Florida-Duh Claims that is necessary so everyone knows you are DEAD!
-How Bizarre!
And if you are off the Hit List in the State of Your Residence and You Visit Florida, you have to Register?…hummm
Truth
Since most sex crimes occur by someone close to them wouldn’t they know the person is dead. In Florida you also have to get a license with that addresses you visit more than 3 days. Florida’s laws make no sense.
Yea Florida is Harsh I have done intense reasearch for 20 years on laws in every state,I have been under the radar also back in those days in Florida since I have family there, but im glad i did it that way i could of been posted for life.
Some additional contact info that was sent to us. It will soon be added to the original post. Thank you to the member who sent this to us.
Asha Terminello: [email protected]
Marcia Brown: [email protected]
Andrew Warren: [email protected]
Addition email address for Carlos Martinez: [email protected]
A task force is only as good as the band-aid they put around the ordeal in these tactics. One wonders if this is a show and tell or a call waiting in the wings or a type of camouflage of true colors of the brave. So were is true honor in all this justice. Would not peace be much better than some brazen resourceful tactic that is more of a blind sight in American justice.