There are more than 65,000 sex offenders registered in Florida.
There is a movement in the state and across the nation to change the reporting requirement. If the changes go through, you wouldn’t know if a sex offender was living next door.
It would be a radical change, but a change some surprising people are asking legislators to consider with an open-mind. They want the system to be adjusted, so they are judged not by the crime they committed – but, by their risk of repeating it.
Retired Navy Captain Charles Robert Munsey is one of those people. He wears an ankle bracelet at all times while on probation.
In 2000, Munsey spent three years behind bars after being convicted of ‘indecent liberties with a child by a custodian’, in other words, sexual contact with a child in his care.
Munsey described his crimes as “moments of weakness” after his wife died of cancer. He said he has asked for and received his victim’s forgiveness and god’s.
“I believe what the bible tells us. Satan will use our past to destroy our future. And I came to the conclusion, I am not going to let that happen,” Munsey said.
In 2008, Munsey violated his probation by having contact with a minor.
Munsey makes it seem innocent enough, he said he talked to a neighborhood boy while taking a walk.
“And I thought it was the only decent thing to do, was to respond to him and not ignore him. And I would do it again because it was the right thing to do,” Munsey said.
Munsey’s sentence was extended 20 years.
“I am not a threat to anyone. If I was a threat to anyone, I should still be in jail.” Munsey said.
According to the Department of Justice, the recidivism rate for sexual offenders committing a crime within three years of getting out of jail is 5.3 percent. Sex offenders committing another crime overall is 43 percent.
It is that possibility, the possibility of re-offending, that so many people worry about. It is a big reason behind two distinctions in Florida’s system – offenders and predators.
People classified as offenders typically have a single victim.
Predators typically have multiple victims, multiple offenses, and/or use force.
Munsey is classified as a predator. He said those categories are born from fear, not fact. He would like the system changed.
“Call them level one, level two, or level three and in some states, level ones are not even on the registry,” Munsey said.
Implementing three separate categories is one of the changes Gail Colletta would like to see happen in Florida.
“The registry in its current state does not serve its current purpose,” Colletta said. “How do we know who’s really risky?”
Colletta lobbies to overhaul the system as a member of The Florida Action Committee. She said the public is in the dark about who the people labeled offenders and predators are.
“If you to say to somebody ‘sexual exploitation, victim under 16′, I ask people ‘what do you think that means?’ Rape, human trafficking, prostitution. It means you looked at pictures.”
Proponents for changing the system point out sex offenders are the only criminals on a registry. Not even murderers need to register.
Whether you are for or against changing the sex offender registry, you can let your state legislator know.
During bipolar mania episode in a verbal, non-violent exchange with another adult male I exposed (flashed) my non-erect penis as a sign of insult. The result was 5.5 months in psychiatric ward in the Oklahoma County jail, torture (held naked, sleep deprivation, beating, not allowed outside of cell for months, no shower for months, etc) followed by $13000 in legal and travel expenses, resulting in a “felony indecent exposure” requiring registry and 6 year suspended sentence / probation transferred to Florida.
My contact with a minor in 2008 was strictly verbal, in broad daylight, and on a public sidewalk in our neighborhood. It was merely the return of a “good morning” salutation from my neighbor’s son…neighbors that I had told about my situation and knew and trusted me. We were good friends and still are. The parents wrote a letter to Virginia condemning the commonwealth for their actions toward me. Their son left a note on my doormat apologizing for what had happened to me. The system traumatized him, not me. I still have both documents in my files. My daughter…the victim that I touched inappropriately…and I are communicating on a friendly basis. When I moved to Florida I was almost immediately ‘tagged’ a predator even thought my failure had included only one victim and that in Virginia, where the offenses took place, I was not considered a predator. Florida seems to be very fast to condemn and extremely slow to forgive. They use the term “Corrections” but those who have gotten involved with the system know that not to be the case at all. While I have moved on with my life and am once again a productive citizen, some cannot do that because of the state supported unforgiveness and simply give up. What a shame!
Which States have a Level System? And which States don’t require Registration because of such system? Help! In my research I cannot find this quote.
All states have a registry. It’s federally mandated.
From the resources page you can find other state’s affiliates and check with them as to whether theirs is tiered or not.
Massachusetts has a three level system.
You might want to start with New York.
Michigan has a 3 tier system as well and a level one is only 15 years on the registry as opposed to life.
Great article! Keep up the good work, Gail and all at FAC!
congrats on getting a fair story out there! stay away from Orlando channel 9
The registry is in desperate need of change. As it is, it is bloated with low-risk offenders who take valuable resources from those who need it more. The professionals who have studied and tracked those convicted of a sex crime have been crying out for years to have a more evidence-based, risk-based system. I pray this may be the beginning of sanity regarding this issue and possibly a greater protection to those most vulnerable
U think that bad I this older man who mad a mistake related to a sex crime all the way in 1979 when there wasn’t even a registry,pleaded to it and did his time,and then many years later they started this registry and he was made to register for life-it’s like he sentenced to more time.How fair is that?