When Congress passed the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, it required states to enact a sex offender registry for those convicted of certain sex crimes.
In the 28 years since the law has passed, sex offender registries have become a tool for the public to identify offenders and find out where they live. Now one national organization is working to eliminate those registries altogether. Robin Vander Wall serves as the chair of the National Association for Rational Sexual Offense Laws, or NARSOL.
“Our vision has always been that this is a bad tool,” Robin Vander Wall says.
Vander Wall is calling for an end to sex offender registries nationwide, saying it prevents former offenders from moving on with their lives. Vander Wall said that NARSOL feels the constant exposure from the internet isn’t fair and only fuels violence and discrimination.
It’s very interesting how rape and murder are considered to be the worst crimes yet there is no registry for convicted murderers or those who drive-by and shoot kids and are later released on a technicality. Why isn’t rape and molestation of children glorified in the movies as murder is glorified? It’s such a bias and shrewd system. So much of it needs to be corrected.
Finally, someone in Washington gets it. Maybe the pendulum is swinging the other way.
People using guns are the number one cause of death to children in America-not cancer, not COVID, not pneumonia, or anything else, but someone using a gun.
Very rarely is the victim of a sex offense murdered.
If politicians really, really cared about the safety of children, they would enact laws that would help protect them from being murdered by someone with a gun, but since some care more about guns than children, we are the primary target they aim at concerning child safety when it’s election time while children are getting mowed down in classrooms and slaughtered on the streets.
murder is already illegal in this country… Guns are the rights of every American… SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED! They will never be taken away. Simple as that… If you are against firearms then dont buy one. But you have no right to tell anyone if they should own one or not…
Felons can’t have firearms unless their rights have been restored.
Guess what… not all sex offenders are felons… like me my adjudication off guilt was withheld. I did not loose my rights. I buy firearms all the time at dealers; do my background check. My conceal carry license as well I have. Which took 72 days to get approved. So yes convicted felons can’t own guns… not all of us here are “felons”
You missed the boat on this one, Walt.
I never said people should not be allowed to own a firearm.
I believe every home and store owner should have a firearm for protection.
I am pointing out the fact that if American government was truly interested in protecting children, they would do something about the gun violence that is killing them instead of pointing the finger at us as though we are the number one problem of child danger.
You are highly misinformed. Guns are NOT the number one killer of children in the US. The number one killer is actually accidents, followed by cancer/self harm/congenital issues/homicide depending on age.
Of those accidents, the top killers are as follows: motor vehicle traffic, drowning, and then fire/burns. After that is firearms. This is based on 30 years of research.
And in fact, millions more are saved every year by guns than are harmed.
Citation needed for ‘millions more children are saved by guns.’
Arm yourselves. Govt wont protect you from assaults, perjury, or even death. Children of registrants will begin their revenge of a system that promotes and encourages vigilantism
Also if you arm yourself please do so within the bounds of the law and for strictly legal purposes. Remember that FAC endorses no call to arms.
I take solace and wisdom from the words of humans like Ghandi, and Bill W. There is only so much hate and anger that I can carry before it drags me down. I won’t let those who wish to see me fall win. I hope that I have learned from the mistake that I made and now live by example
I got my conceal carry license for a reason. We all have a target on our backs. While only a small number of us can carry legally. I hope those that can carry legally do so!
If you are a convicted felons, especially a registrant, how are you legally able to own a gun? I’m for non violence. Doesn’t mean that I won’t defend myself , but why give sheriff’s like Judd, Chitwood, and Staley an easy target.
Because just because I am a sex offender does not mean I am a convicted felon. My adjudication. Of guilt was withheld. Which means I don’t loose my rights. 🙂 I can vote, I can buy guns, I have my conceal carry license…
I agree with Jacob when he said the public just doesn’t care about the ills and or hardships of those on the registry. Also where he said “Show me instead how the registry utterly fails to protect us, imparts a false sense of security, diverts and wastes law enforcement resources, and harms entire families with children.”
My opinion, keep on message. The registry is wasteful spending ment to garner votes for politicians.
Thank you
I have to say, this is surprisingly weak messaging coming from NARSOL. Perhaps it got diluted by the news outlet.
I do applaud NARSOL for getting news exposure. But FAC’s theme, “The Sex Offender Registry Failed Them,” hits harder.
In other words, don’t tell me that the registry makes life more difficult for offenders. Most people already are aware of that and are OK with it. Show me instead how the registry utterly fails to protect us, imparts a false sense of security, diverts and wastes law enforcement resources, and harms entire families with children.
If I’m not mistaken, the latter is the direction in which FAC’s upcoming publicity campaign is headed.
Jacob
Imagine if we had a huge meeting with Supreme court and 100s of registered person’s families are the ones who got to testify how “THEY” are being punished on a daily basis.
“Hello, my name is Sally your honor. Although I am not on the registry, my husband is. For every punishment or restraint placed on him (Even after finishing his sentence) our lives and our children’s are effected in some way. Not being able to attend a ball game our son is playing in, Having out tires slashed or eggs thrown at our house.
Our kids being bullied, beat up and shunned because the address registered is also OUR home as well. Our home should be a safe place, not a prison. I say prison because we are trapped in our own home due to fear of what comes next at the hand of law enforcement, the neighbors or vigilantes”.
These are the people that should be able to tell their stories and how they are basically on the registry along with us.
It is plain to see how the bureau of justice has worded their study to avoid from publishing the low recidivism rate of people with sex offenses.
At face value, without giving a small amount of careful thought, it seems to state we are likely to reoffend because it reads ‘Half of released sex offenders had a subsequent arrest that led to a conviction’ without stating what the percentage of those arrests were that involved a sexual crime.
The more I read this, I see how cunning they were in writing this to make it seem as though we are in some ways more dangerous than other released felons, but then in some ways not, leaving the reader to judge for themselves with the bureau of justice’s evasive literary tactic that does not include the empirical data and statistics that we have the next to lowest recidivism rate of all felons.
Not to mention omitting how many of those arrests were for registry violations. Registrant re-arrests would be considerably lower if those were removed.
They ran this story in Alaska too yesterday. https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2022/11/23/national-organization-works-eliminate-sex-offender-registries/
I am hoping to move to Alaska next year and i been in contact with the registry officials there but they are horrible. They refuse to tell me what restrictions i will have there. They said they will only tell me that after i move there and register. Which sucks because i want to know before hand so i can make sure i rent or buy a home that wont be in violation of their laws.
Why on earth would you rely on info from government employees? First they typically know nothing accurate and secondly are unlikely to tell you even if they did.
You MUST consult a lawyer in the state you have interest in relocating in. Make sure to get one that specializes in sex offenses and I recommend getting a second opinion to be on the safe side.
Good luck
Send the authorities a freedom of information act request for the information AND double check with lawyers who practice in the area of registration requirements.
No need for FOIA or lawyer. Registrant requirements are public information. Just read the statute. NARSOL State Wiki is a good place to start. Or the Alaska state sex offender website.
Not everyone can access the internet or interpret law. That’s why sending a FOIA and asking a reputable lawyer are excellent ideas, Jacob.
Jacob
Just a thought. Be Very careful about trusting Wiki as anyone can edit or add info as it is a user platform that allows add ons and edits. I have seen several wiki info pages on subjects I am considered very knowledgeable on and have seen glaring mistakes or misinformation added.
That would be the last place I would want to quote something from.
If you do not believe me, here is from Wiki’s own page:
Wikipedia is a wiki, meaning anyone can edit nearly any[1] page and improve articles immediately. You do not need to register to do this, and anyone who has edited is known as a Wikipedian or editor.
Y’all aren’t getting it:
https://statewiki.narsol.org/doku.php?id=alaska
Those in Walt’s position might start here:
https://statewiki.narsol.org/doku.php?id=alaska
As I’ve posted before, my case was entrapment and yet I’m still placed on a sex offender registry. One little town in Northeast Wisconsin decided to perceive the case differently than others would have. The registry causes the public to look at you differently as well as for you to lose friendships. You don’t get to work the jobs that you want to work and you often struggle to find a place to live. It’s punitive and does the opposite of what it was intended to do.
It also puts a BIG BULLSEYE on these peoples backs. They are being threatened, beaten and even killed. This is horrible. Yes many of them did what they were accused of and many are only in the position because of an angry ex spouse. How can they begin to move on or create a peaceful life if they live in fear of something they did or didnt do but served the time and just want to move forward. NOT ALL OFFENDERS REOFFEND!!!!! How can the families of those accused or their own children move on without this on their heads. The Children of offenders pay the BIG PRICE FOREVER after the fact. I know from a close family friend in this situation that children pay for parents do also!!