A new bill in Missouri has already passed the House and is making it’s way through the Senate. The bill would create a tiered system, which would allow lower-level offenders to be removed from the registry after 10 years, level two after 25 and only keep the highest level on for life, which is the case now.
Rep. Kurt Bahr, R-St. Charles, is sponsoring the bill, which includes three components: It would require stricter background checks for those wishing to work in a childcare facility. It would impose a mandatory life sentence without eligibility for parole for a person convicted of a predatory sexual offense. And it would create a tiered system to allow sex offenders to petition to be removed from the sex offender registry.
There are approximately 15,500 active sex offenders in the state (not including those who are incarcerated. If the state does nothing to allow the lower level, lower risk offenders to fall off, that number will swell to unmanageable counts. Also, as we’ve been preaching forever, a bloated registry only dilutes the public’s focus from those who they need to focus on the most.
Some registrants (obviously those who would fall into the lower levels) are strongly behind the bill. Others (who would fall into the third tier) are against it, because no individualized risk assessment is conducted. Even someone who did a heinous act decades ago, who has gone through therapy and led an offense-free life since, should earn the right to be removed. The science supports that.
At minimum, this bill is a step in the right direction.
Wow. The same tiered system as a lot of other states making the same assessment of releasing some registrants yet never does. The same 10 or 25 year relief procedure that most can’t afford where the judge will have the discretion but won’t use it in the registrant’s favor. The same system that will change when too many people become eligible for removal. Ah, progress…..
With all due respect people, the registry can’t be “fixed” because it was never the right tool to do what it was purported to do in the first place, the main reason for that being that the problem it was developed to fix was nowhere near as widespread or prevalent as proclaimed. No changes to the stupid thing will make it any “better” or more useful, nor will they make any practical difference to those currently registered.
The anti-SO nazis that make our lives so difficult aren’t swayed or persuaded by a tier system, and they’re the main people the systems are developed to appease. Simply being a registrant is enough to earn their harassment, hatred, and all else that comes with it. Why a person is a registrant simply doesn’t matter to them and never will.
By the same logic, why should anti-registry advocates be satisfied by a tier system? Because it’s better then nothing? “Progress”?
I respectfully disagree. It’s not “better than nothing”, it IS nothing. A tier system is nothing but politicians too cowardly or corrupted to get rid of something that epitomizes government waste creating the illusion of change while accomplishing nothing.
Progress? Metaphorically speaking, this is like travelling southeast from Florida to get to Canada and when you get about 100 miles away in that direction, your destination changes to India so turn northeast from there. Then try to explain how the trip was faster.
Florida clumps all registrants together and makes it seem that no matter if you are a Violent Predator, a Child Molester, a person that got caught in a sting with CP or a teen they want us all to be punished equally. The shear unfairness of these insane laws from State to State is maddening less to say. One State tells me my crime would not require any Registration and the next State I’m a Registrant for Life! Since MO. is considering reducing the length of Registration, somebody here in Florida needs to introduce a new Bill or revision of current law that states Registration begins when you became a Registrant. Currently Florida Law states your length of Registration begins when you are Released. Many have served many years behind bars or on probation as Registrants and Florida throws that out! So not only do we need a tiered system, we need to re-define when Registration begins.
JEV – In FL it does not really matter when you registration time begins – it is for life anyway….
You can “technically” apply for removal after 25 years, though I’ve never seen anyone be removed
Great step in the right direction Unfotunatly the only way I believe anything like this will happen in Florida is under 1 or possibly 3 circumstances 1 A major change in leadership.( Politicians that are not in Ron Books Pockets and his daughter must go) 2 A court order ( which the state would fight tooth and nail) and 3 The general public would have to be educated on how the registry not only doesn’t keep them safe but I also a big waste of taxpayers dollars. That’s the only way I see any positive changes happening
These aggressive and corrupt district attorneys love to put anybody on the list that they can , it’s only more money for there department. Boynton Beach police are probably the most corrupt in Palm Beach County. They love to go on 18 and over websites and try to put someone in a situation that they would never of found themselves in if the police didn’t initiate it. Why would a country go out of their way to try to screw a citizan over that had no intent of ever speaking to someone underage in the first place. And to all the mothers and fathers and people that think their immune from it and it can never happen to them, think again, people have landed on the sex registry list for the most ridiculous, innocent actions. And to all of those parents that think their kids are Angel and that it would never happen to their own kids FYI, the majority of people on the sex offender registry are under the age of 18 .
Obviously there’s people that should be on the list no question, but let’s make a huge difference between a real predator and somebody who messed up once in their life. Everyone on this planet is human and every human being on this planet has had A moment in their life that they regret and are embarrassed about, but how would you feel if that one moment in time, the one moment in your life that you messed up and you regret was on the Internet for everybody to read and it Never went away.it’s just not right. Reform, reform, reform!!!
GOOD FOR MISSOURI – The bill is indeed a HUGE step in the right direction considering that Missouri is currently like Florida with lifetime punishment.
I hope that the corrupt Florida government will be forced to allow needed changes to allow others to move on with their lives after paying their debt to society instead of being outcast who can not find work and are harassed even when forced through no fault of their own into homelessness and then abused again by being arrested!
Florida is barbaric and vengeful or I should say politicians in Florida are! Vile individuals who abuse their positions so they can abuse others they have never met and know nothing about (like career victim and professional hate monger Lauren Book)!
I wish Florida’s legislators would enact something like this. Yeah it still sucks for violent and repeat offenders, but I don’t really feel a lot of pity or sympathy for them. Spending millions to track people with virtually zero probability of recidivism takes resources away from focusing on the truly heinous elements in society that the current registry scheme equates us all with; or, as the author so aptly states, “a bloated registry only dilutes the public’s focus from those who they need to focus on the most”.
Anonymous – I get where you are coming from however, always keep in mind that those we think of as the “violent and repeat offenders” are very, very few. Many that would remain in the top tier are mainly folks that have been designated as such for the offense and not based on the actual circumstance or situation. Actual stranger danger (the boogey man) is extremely rare. Our society believes in rehabilitation for murderers so why not RSOs? One reason is because laws surrounding murder are and were actually based on empirical evidence. Laws surrounding RSOs are not and never have been.
Indeed the entire point of the sex offender registry as it stands is to create a second class of citizens to use for fear based legislation and nothing more. Reality and facts have nothing to do with it.
Clearly if someone is so dangerous that they need to be monitored they would be locked up. The registry has nothing to do with justice and therefore, ignores individuals and only stereotypes and profiles everyone into a faceless group named “sex offenders” which is meaningless.
It’s important to remember that there RSO’s in Florida who are classified as “Sexual Predators” who are not repeat or violent offenders. They may have committed only one offense – or maybe just one “attempted” offense that involved a victim under the age of 12. They should also be given the same consideration on a case-by-case basis.
Actually, your description is me. I am designated sexual predator, one occasion but 4 counts of sexual battery. No past incidents. I did 13 yrs in prison and 2 1/2 yrs on CRD without incident. I’ve been out of prison since 2010. My crime happened in 1995. I can’t understand why we who predate the enforcement of the registry should even be on it. We of course are the modern day lepers. It doesn’t matter how we conduct our lives we are still punished and always in danger. Now that “Nextdoor” is publishing my neighbors are all aware where i live. I have lived here with no incident until now.
Here in Missouri with the new law that just started really screws anyone who caught a case like Statutory Rape over 20 years ago ( much like you in 1995 ) . I did my time and have been out since 1999 and been registering in Missouri and had no issues and actually up until this new law for Missouri which went into effect the end of August bunches up anyone with a non violent case like Statutory rape ( a non violent crime ) right along with the forcible rape and a sexual predator now after being considered low risk to re offend after all these years without even an assessment being done it was automatic when the new law took effect in August . Not right at all after more than 20 years on the registry they change up the rules once again .