Two years ago, the Connecticut legislature was introduced to a bunch of “sex offender” bills for consideration. Rather than vote on the new bills before them, they decided to appoint a committee to examine the current laws to see whether they were effective.
This committee, which was comprised of approximately 40 members who are stakeholders on all sides of the registry, after two years of evaluation, came up with a unanimous conclusion… Connecticut’s registry wasn’t working and should be dramatically overhauled.
As one article put it, “After two years of study, including numerous public hearings and testimony by nationally known experts on treatment of sex offenders, as well as reports on how other states’ registries operate, with almost unanimous agreement the subcommittee produced a report recommending major changes to our sex offender registry laws. These changes would have resulted in a smaller, more focused and enforceable registry. Also, they would lessen the barriers to the offenders’ successful reintegration into the community. The 204-page report was adopted by the full Sentencing Commission and submitted to the Judiciary Committee of the Legislature in December 2017.”
The legislature had the opportunity this year, to adopt a bill that would put into effect the recommendations of the subcommittee. On the last day of the session, the bill died.
On one hand it’s disappointing that the legislature lacked the political courage to make necessary changes. On the other hand, it’s very encouraging to see more states considering research and empirical evidence in their law-making and recognizing that change is necessary.
Is it possible to get a copy of the report?
I am on the registry and been on it for 11 years for case I did not do and at the time I had been taking from my family for three years and now have a ministry helping people who needs a second chance. All dout I’m on the registry I make the best out of it . Can’t get a job and people judging me from this claim. I a respectable person and like to be respected.
Unfortunately as has been illustrated time and time again, facts, statistics, and reality itself are not really a consideration with sex offenders and sex offender registries.
They are too valuable of a political “tool” which can be used to emotionally manipulate the masses with fear and give the false appearance that government and law enforcement are actually doing something useful when in fact the exact opposite is true.
By creating a false sense of security with these proven useless registries, parents are fooled into thinking that all they need do is check a map for red dots to keep their children safe when the reality is that they should be watching NOT those on a proven useless list but those who they and/or their child already know!
Stranger danger just as sex offenders are simply over simplification of a subject most do not want to face and government Lauren Book) and LE are more than happy to continue this grand lie for their own agendas.
States have resisted such studies for many years because they feared that the results wouldn’t fit their preconceived ideas about the registry laws. When Michigan finally performed their own study on recidivism among sex offenders, for example, the stunningly low rate lead to fairer decisions by the parole board. Without that study, I might still be in prison myself. The hard part to overcome about the registries is that they are such a good propaganda tool for politicians. They seem to have no problem lying to the public if it will win them some votes.
The legislators inaction with this bill is a testament to their concerns. NOT what is right and just…but what will get me reelected.
As long as our legislators continue to ignore the facts and fail in their responsibilities to all citizens of the nation, our oppressed sector of society will eventually reach the ‘boiling point’.