‘It’s overkill’: Should sex offenders be banned from the NC State Fair?

Sex offenders in particular are seldom given the nuance and rehabilitation we afford to other people with criminal histories. Their lives are forever affected by the convictions they carry, just like other people convicted of crimes. But unlike some others, they face additional punishment at the hands of the state, even after they’ve served their time. In North Carolina, residents who are registered sex offenders (meaning they have been convicted of sexual contact with a minor or a sexually violent offense) are not allowed to attend any agricultural fair, including the N.C. State Fair underway in Raleigh.

Advocates for sex offenders see it as an extra burden that is not applied to other offenders with criminal records of violence. “It’s egregious and outrageous. It’s overkill,” Robin Vander Wall, president of North Carolina Association for Rational Sex Offense Law, said in a press release. “This is a matter of fundamental fairness and equal protection under both the state and federal constitutions.”

There has been one publicized instance of random sexual assault of a minor at the N.C. State Fair since 2000. The man arrested for the crime had no prior record, and was employed by one of the vendors. The more we treat registered sex offenders as boogeymen, the harder it is for us to accept the reality of when and where child sexual abuse occurs. The vast majority of child sexual abuse is perpetrated by someone the child knows. The U.S. Department of Justice reports that 70% of sexual assault occurs in a home; outside of residences. These assaults occur mostly in secluded areas, like on roadways, woods and motels. Sex offenders, both in North Carolina and nationally, have lower recidivism rates than other violent offenders. Given that, we should at least consider why their punishments must continue for decades after they have been released from prison.

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