Is Lifetime Sex Offender Registration Worse than Jail?
In the comments of a recent article I saw someone reference Dr. Marty Klein as an expert in sexual issues. I had not heard of Dr. Klein, so I did a little digging to see who he was and how he felt about our issues.
It turns out Dr. Klein is a renowned expert and lecturer on sexual topics. He’s a forensic expert who has written 7 books on topics such as pornography and even one called “America’s War on Sex”, which I feel I’ve been battling for decades now.
I came across one of his twitter posts, in which he wrote, “Lifetime #SexOffender registration is far worse than jail–so why are people trying to recall Judge Persky?” He wrote this several months ago in response to the public outcry over the Judge who sentenced Brock Turner, the Stanford student who received what many perceived as an overly lenient sentence for a sexual assault.
However, to anyone on the registry, a sentence of life on the sex offender registry is tantamount to a death sentence. Sure you are still alive, but you are socially dead, professionally dead and because of the extreme stigma, dead to many friends and family who fear that the association to you will destroy them also.
Dr. Klein explained his comments by saying, “As a lifetime registered sex offender, Brock Turner’s life is pretty much over. Months in jail, years in jail—as awful as that is, it’s most certainly LESS awful than being a registered sex offender for life… And by pretending that lifetime sex offender registration is a light sentence or a trivial detail, we continue to dehumanize those whose lives are ruined by it. While three years in prison may feel like a lifetime, it’s absolutely nothing in comparison to spending an actual lifetime as a registered sex offender.”
I’ve often wondered which element of my punishment was worse. Prison or being on the registry?
I did three years in prison. Sure, it was awful being separated from my family and the accommodations were horrible, but I survived. Each day I was able to cross another day off my calendar and know that this would eventually end. But the registry (in Florida, at least) is not like that. There is no end in sight and it seems that every year the government-imposed torture becomes worse.
If I could do some extra time in prison as a substitute for a lifetime on the registry would I take it? Would I even take five more years just to know that I’ll eventually be able to come out and become employable again, be able to live wherever a want, or not walk around my community with this palpable cloud lingering around me? Hell yes I would!
For more information about Dr. Kline: https://www.martyklein.com
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Why you complain? A sex offender most likely ruined someones life, it should be jail for ever, there is not enough human punishment
I am so grateful, PEPON, that you yourself have never been a victim of a sex crime. If you had been, you’d come across as a little less of a dim bulb when it comes to this issue.
@ FAC I am not asking for legal advice I just trying to figure out something I have 1991 convictions of Sexual Battery on my ex girlfriend and Lewd and las. under 16 on another girlfriend(I had two girlfriends the older one found I cheated on her) Meagan came out in 1997 In florida. Now following your articles and giving some support I am little confused here First there were 10 years, then 20 years and now life. Then those with Sexual battery can never get petition the court.So My question is ex facto one I was convicted before 1997 which law do I need to wait under to petition the courts. 10? or 20? or none I have spent countless hours reading florida Statues on line
Joseph, your situation is the subject of many lawsuits throughout the country right now. Nothing more frustrating or unfair than to have them keep changing the rules after the game is over. But until the US Supreme Court takes up the issue again and admits the plain truth that these registries are, indeed, a serious form of punishment barred under the ex post facto clause, states like Florida are just going to keep running over us. Just have to wait and pray that they come to their senses.
@ Gerald thanks for reply I just trying to figure this out I am hoping the FAC ex post facto helps me or not.. I sent little money for the fight and substative I know it is not a lot and I am a shame I cant send more living by yourself and having a sky high electrical bill and getting disbility checks suck.
Is there no violation of contract law? A plea agreement is a contract. How is a contract considered to be valid after one side makes changes to it AFTER it has been signed? I feel especially for those who took a plea agreement prior to 1997 only to be civilly committed after they’d satisfied their part of the contract. I would think, if the state violates the contract, the contract would be null and void with no harm to the party that kept to the terms of the contract.
Eligibility would have to go by current law. But it’s because that law is so outrageous, that it is being challenged in Federal court right now, by FAC’s ex post facto lawsuit.
IT HURTS TO HAVE A SHERIFF COME BY THE HOUSE EVERY 3 MONTHS WHILE NEIGHBORS ARE NEAR BY. I TOOK THE COURSE FOR SEX OFFENDERS FOR 5 YEARS AND CAME OFF PROBATION EARLY. THAT SHOULD BE ENOUGH TO BE RELEASED FROM REGISTRATION. WHAT ABOUT ALL THE PRIESTS THAT WERE CAUGHT UP IN THE SEX ABUSE, WHY AREN’T THEY IN JAIL?
Yup, same with me. every 3 month visit. I can either go to the station or they come to my house. I go to the station to avoid them coming here and have neighbors look on like if If the police are there because I keep doing new crimes every three months.
@Bruce
Catholic church is powerful, wealthy and has strong influence here in politics, government and other business.
Yes, life on the registry is worse than prison, owing to the daily increasing of associated restrictions that are entirely based on isolated incidents, political pandering, or mere supposition.
In all likelihood, the primary objective of nearly all SO laws and restrictions is to make life on the registry completely untenable, and the secondary objective to ensure the registrant spends the rest of his sentence or life running in and out of jail/prison. Those that write and pass them know full well they have no effect on community safety, but continue either for political expedience or the financial interests of relatives and/or associates.
Rule of thumb – whenever a politician from ANY party mentions “children”, grab your wallet with one hand and a magnifying glass with the other. More often than not, they’re appealing to emotion in order to cover up some seriously logical, legal, or ethical flaws in whatever bill they’ve written or supported.
This is really well written, Dustin!
You nailed it perfectly Dustin.
For me, I have been in the registry for almost 7 years. Let me tell you, I agree with those who say that we feel that we are nothing but walking shells, walking dead, walking ghosts, meaningless shadows who the society look past without thinking that most of us are human beings with heart and souls. We have made the mistakes we made that put us in this situation in the first place, but if we have made good and learnt from our lessons, then we should have another chance at life. But what is life worth when you can’t enjoy it?…what is life worth when you can’t feel free to get out there and show the world that you are capable of doing good and great things?…what is life worth when you can’t even travel to meet new friends, new cultures, new lands for the first time or just to take your family to enjoy some relaxing vacations?.. what is life worth when your children gets bullied and stigmatized for my mistake?…what is life worth when you child gets sick and you can’t visit him/her at the hospital or someone in your family gets terminally ill in another state and you can’t travel to be at their side in their final moments?…The pain, the shame, the embarrassment is unbearable…..what is life worth when you have an invisible collar around your neck with the threat of prison time for such a small mistake as changing your cellphone number without spending four hours at the sheriff office to update the information?
When I read about an accident and someone dies, sometimes I imagine that the person is me, I feel envious that I am not the person dead and someone else is. I have attempted suicide twice, and, it seems that not even God cares or wants me up there because I am still here, which, to some doctors, neurologists, the shrinks, and many others medical gurus can’t seems to understand how I spent 8 hours in a car with the tail pipe and a hose inside while running and I and still alive and with my cognitive skills intact…and every day I am mad that I made it out alive. I can’t even own a gun, or I think, I would have blown my brains out and sometimes, I wish I would have done it when I had the chance. It seems to me that to make it through all this pain and suffering, you must be completely void of emotions and void of your essence of humanity.
I don’t give a damn how sweet or complacent life is to someone else, I only know that my life, as I see it, is worth nothing. And there is no relief in sight anytime soon. The only thing I hope is that before I die, I would like to see some sort of relief.
Andrew Gillum said in his political commercial, that the only thing any person should ask for, to have a chance. We have been asking for it. Hopefully, someone will listen to our pleas.