From the National Post (Canada)
Marni Soupcoff: Sex-offender registries may be doing more harm than good
With little proof of effectiveness, it’s hard to see how much longer they will be considered acceptable — at least without considerable refinement
A New Jersey Department of Corrections study found that the state’s sex-offender registry and warning system “cost millions of dollars and had no discernible effect on the number of sex crimes.”
To call the state of New Hampshire’s computer sex crime law excessive is an understatement. Just a couple of weeks ago, the New Hampshire Supreme Court upheld the felony conviction of a young man who, at age 18, went online and propositioned a 15-year-old girl (whom he knew) for sex. Because of the conviction, the computer sex crime law dictates that he’ll be on the state’s public sex-offender registry for life. If he’d actually had consensual sex with the underage girl, instead of propositioning her online, he’d have been charged with a misdemeanour and wouldn’t have been placed on the sex-offender registry at all.
It makes little sense. But then, sex-offender registries in general make a lot less sense than we tend to assume they do. The problem isn’t with their goal, which is to prevent future offences by sexual predators (the point of the public registries in the United States), or to make it easier to apprehend sex offenders (the point of the Canadian registries, which are accessible only by police). It’s with their effectiveness in achieving such goals, and the costs they impose to deliver their underwhelming results.
I hope Canada will let me through when I complete one of my ‘bucket list’ items…drive to Alaska.
And yet Canada is one of the countries that will not let registered citizens to enter their country on vacation.
Well in all fairness if I am not mistaken Canada won’t let anyone with a felony charge in
This is correct re convicted felons. I get the impression that this is kind of in retaliation for the similar treatment that Canadian citizens receive when trying to come to the US. Same as Brazil requiring US citizens to obtain visas. But you apparently can apply to “temporarily immigrate” to Canada. /for “lesser” offenses, it can be done right at the border crossing, but likely not for folks like us.
They won’t let any Felons in so at least they are not picking on Offenders but treat everyone the same.
Canada will not let anyone across the border that is convicted not only of felonies but also misdemeanors. New Law from 2 years ago.
Once again You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink. Another country has proven to be more open to changes in the process than the closed minds that run this one. Their law enforcement only use of the registry is a good start but they are even questioning is that worth the cost to Canadian tax payers. Wow accountability what a concept ex offenders here learn it to bad the concept is rejected by our leaders even tax watch groups won’t speak out about what a big waste of money and resources the registry is as it stands now
I believe that if all this information was put out on the news to the general public and then call out the Book’s and ask them where their facts are to say that all sex offenders are a bigger threat to society, we might make the public aware that the tyrannical liars Ron an Lauren book are making this a personal vendetta against all the sex offenders and that their tax money is being abused and waisted by having us on the streets. By having us on the streets we are taking law enforcement officers off the streets and taking them away from actual meaningful calls to just have them come out to babysit us. He’s using their money to line his pockets to pay off law makers to have his way. And if Lauren book is such a victim and having nightmares about what happened to her, then why is her and her father protecting the Broward county sheriff’s son from having to face the music for his actions? I think if the public was made aware of the facts then and only then will they see the truth about the books and how’s he’s taking their money to profit for his own interests. Let them see that he’s a thief and a list. Let his criminal record be made public.
Go ahead start the process Mike. Talking about it won’t do a thing action is needed. Registered Citizens are a bunch of talk and no action. Stop whining and start acting. I have in my county and have shut up many people in the judicial system and law enforcement.
Effectiveness be damned. It’s the salaries of those who monitor the registries that really matter. How many times will the registries be proven ineffective? And then there’s the cases where a law/restriction is found unconstitutional and the politicians just ignore the ruling. Every time the excuse ‘unconstitutional’ is used/sited I wold like for the one using the term to point out specifically…by article, section, and/or amendment… in the Constitution where the decision is supported. We far too frequently throw around the terms ‘constitutional’ and ‘unconstitutional’ when in some cases the Constitution has no relevance whatsoever.