Sex offender registries have been in the news lately as media outlets have been questioning why billionaire Jeffrey Epstein, who was convicted of sexually assaulting a minor female, was able to largely elude the penalty of being on a sex offender registry by maintaining residences in states that did not require him to register.
This then begs the bigger question—what do these sex registries accomplish, and do they work to keep our children safe?
As with most things, the answer is complicated—but researchers overwhelmingly agree that in general, the answer is “no.” While some evidence suggests that registries may act as a deterrent for new sex crimes, the overall research has demonstrated that these laws do little to nothing to reduce reoffending.
Researchers have put forth various theories as to why sex offender registries are largely ineffective at preventing recidivism.
- Most sex crimes are committed by someone known to the victim, and thus, once identified, they no longer have access to potential victims. In fact, 93 percent of all sex crimes against children are committed by someone known to the victim, such as a family member, friend, or community member.
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Almost all (95 percent) of sex crimes are committed by someone who would not be on the sex offender registry—which means that only 5 percent of reoffending could be prevented by these registries
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Sex offenders have relatively low reoffending rates—a large scale study of over 29,000 convicted sex offenders found that 13.7 percent reoffended sexually
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There is evidence that sex offender registries may actually increase the risk of reoffending by destabilizing the offender as they try to reintegrate back into the community.
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Sex offender registries are fraught with error. Studies have found that anywhere between 10-75 percent of all entries in the registries have some sort of factual error.
Great article! The article mentions that it is up to each state as to which tier level a former sex offender is put in. Does Florida do that?
Florida does not have tiers
Florida assigns two tiers, but they go by a different label, and there is no equivalent to what other states would define as “Tier I.”
The following link details how compliant Florida is with SORNA.
https://www.smart.gov/pdfs/sorna/Florida.pdf
The SMART office has gone to the trouble of assigning tiers to Florida offenses.
SORNA requires that Tier I offenders register for a minimum of 15 years and annually verify registration information. Florida currently does not utilize this tier in its registration scheme, as its sexual offenders must register for life and biannually verify registration
information, and its sexual predators must register for life and quarterly verify registration information. However, the following offenses listed in Florida Statutes would require, at a minimum, Tier I registration requirements under SORNA; therefore, designation of those who are convicted of these offenses as “sexual offenders” who must register for life and biannually verify registration information exceeds SORNA’s requirements for Tier I offenses:
If Florida had a Tier 1, it would encompass these offenses:
§ 794.011(5) Sexual Battery (victim 18 years of age or over)
§ 810.145 Video voyeurism (victim under the age of 18)
§ 825.1025(3)(b) Lewd or lascivious offenses committed upon or the in the presence of an elderly person or disabled person
§ 827.071(4) Sexual Performance by a Child (Possession with the intent to promote)
§ 827.071(5) Sexual Performance by a Child (Possession)
§ 847.011(c) Prohibition of certain acts in connection with obscene, lewd, etc., materials (where the materials depict child pornography)
§ 847.0135(2)(3)(4) Computer Pornography
Psychology Today’s comment section for this article is open.
I would like FAC to mail this to letters to the editor of the major newspapers in florida…
Miami herald, Tampa Tribune, Orlando sentinel, ocala star banner, jscksonville times, Gainesville sun, Tallahassee Democrat and more. We have everyone glued to this story right now…lets strike while the iron is hot. What do you think. Ms coletta?
David – We would love it if our members could contact the editors of major newspapers.
I will contact the Jacksonville Florida Times Union.
The Jacksonville Florida Times Union, though, has yet to print Capt. Munsey’s letter he sent in a couple of weeks ago. A lot has been going on in the news, and I am hoping that the paper will eventually get to letters and concerns of FAC members.
Some letters get published, some don’t, it all depends how much interesting content is coming in at the time and how much space they have. We have to keep trying!
I believe that if there has to be a registry that it should be for repeat offenders and predators.
I hope you mean repeat offenders and repeat predators. (Sometimes it does not always take a whole lot to be classified as a predator.)
If that is the case, then I whole-heartedly agree with you. Otherwise, we are no longer a country of second chances. Think of all the things that would never have been accomplished by some people in the history of our own country if no one had ever been given a second chance. If God did not give second chances, such as with David and Paul, we would have large portions of the Bible deleted, leaving us with a more-limited understanding of who God is.
I guess that it was an assumption on my part that predators were multiple offenders. Sorry for the confusion..
Yes, in Florida a sexual predator is defined to be violent, dangerous, likely to try escaping prison, or has multiple victims. I know people that are classified as a predator in Florida, but none of those characteristics describe them. In a Florida prison, you will most likely be placed in closed security–right under maximum security. That will put you in with murderers, violent rapists, and not just gang members but gang leaders. I am not saying that some predators do not belong there, but there are some who do not.
Thank you for saying that Sarah, but if our words just keep falling on def ears , were just basically “venting” to each other or preaching to the choir. I am classified as a predator as well and your right , it doesn’t describe me none the bit ! But here I am. My case was in the State of VA , I only had to register once a year and by mail, and was not listed as a predator or it’s sub categories. Since living here in Florida I have to register 2x a year and am listed as a predator. My case was over my Ex in 1993 (that’s a huge story to explain) but since living here I’ve been re- arrested and given another felony record with 5 yrs probation all because we (my new hubby and I ) had a sailboat on Patrick Air Base. For past 13 years I registered it as a “ temp” address with sheriff s Office, but the Base decided after all those years they didn’t want me on their base and needed a reason since I had express permission in writing to be there, so they called the Brevard investigator who just happens to be retired Air Force Security and he arrested me for Failure to register a temp address with the DMV. I am currently still on probation with one year to go but if you knew me you would surly agree I’m one of the nicest people
…. I’m leaving Florida when I’m free again.
Florida designates certain registrants as “predator,” but that is a misnomer as it is based on just a single risk variable (ie, the vast majority of those labeled “predator” by the state are engaged in no such thing and are no longer a risk). The label does a poor job of identifying those who may actually pose a risk.
I agree totally , or do like Cali for felonies 3rd time ( repeat offenders ) are done. I mean c’mon to punish everyone under the same umbrella is just unconstitutional!
The issue is ,You thought they were for crime prevention, for which they fail..So why continue them and why bribe and force other countries to institute them? Because for their real purpose they work perfectly. They create a microcosm of society for acceptable abuse , while also giving the government anouther tool to undermine and monitor society..in that context they work better then Facebook. Hitler started his registrys the same way and ours will end the same way..paperclip.
I know that district which is the 19th judical system is corrupt from the top down. I took a plea deal in ‘2007 because they scared the life out of me. I lived in South Daytona back then and was on my computer in a yahoo romance chatroom with terms and conditions which stated you had to be 18 years old or older. I was coerced into a chat and can prove this, into a role playing chat. I never left my house. They had recorded our chat and video of me doing things that people get paid for doing now. This was before cameras started coming out on ALL computers. There was two detectives that drove three and a half hours with their crew of officers. I wasnt home, so they broke into my home and found my phone number on a for sale sign that had on it. They called me and said that they received a phone call stating that the door to my moble home was swinging open.. they lied. When i showed up they pulled me to the back of one of the police cars. And started talking about the other officers inside my house. Then one said, let me tell why we are here. Is this your screen name. I said ive used it, and they said they had me on video. Anyway, the famous saying throughout all this is: “we do things differently down there”. Boy did they prove that. So they gave Epstein 13 months for all his years of having his way with all those young girls along with all the prominent officials having sex with them. I even got me a high profile attorney from down there that had a picture of ex President Bill Clinton and himself in his waiting room. One corrupt community and after trying to fight them. I wound up doing ten years out of 13. I was violated two times because of a false accusation and proved it. Then violated because of an annonomus phone call. Then finally i went in front of a judge that gave me a plea deal that i signed, that the state pulled off the table making me have to go to trial again. I even eventually took a denial polygraph test. If i passed it, i wouldnt have to attend a counceling program. I took the test that they had set up with their polygraph examiner. The results was: that the test confirms that i did not think that i was chatting with a 14 year girl”. That was done by Florida Fact Fiders here in Daytona. If you look me up you would think that this took place in Martin County, Stuart, Fl. I was in South Daytona, Florida. So if what i did was really a crime. Where did it take place? I did my time and have no probation, but theres an ordinance here that has a police officer come buy once a month, just to say hi. I have to register twice a year for being entraped by this district thats under fire. Im watching this close for names. KARMA is there and needs some directios and i hope i can watch. Its going to be ALOTof corrupt politicians and other prominent people going down. They need to experience their consequences…thanks for being there FAC…Sam
*Sex offender registries are fraught with error. Studies have found that anywhere between 10-75 percent of all entries in the registries have some sort of factual error.
I can personally attest to this one. I fought with the FDLE for a year before having to hire a lawyer to get information fixed on mine which made me look like a monster that wasn’t anywhere near what I did. They finally changed it after threat of being sued but then oddly switched me from once a year registration to 4 times a years as retribution. The lawyer wants another $1000 to go after them again and I said forget it, as I shouldn’t have to pay for the FDLE’s mistake and 2ndly if we fix that one, what is their next trick, changing me from an offender to a predator? The sheriff’s office even said they do not understand why I am registering 4 times a year but FDLE has that down so they said if I do not, I will be in mucho problemo . None of the statues that state why someone has to register 4 times a year relate to me. Registries are a trap to get us to mess up and go back to prison on a technicality , usually for longer than our original sentence.
The Law says the Registry is not punishment. It most certainly is punishment of the worst kind. The offenders, who are most likely not to reoffend according to numerous studies, can not get work, can not live with family members if they live in the areas where offenders are not permitted to live. They live in the woods and are permitted to give an address of a near by business, such as WalMarts etc. They are on food stamps, have to look for public assistance for health problems and their family’s have to provide as much assistance as possible. What other word then PUNISHMENT can you call the registry? If the powers that be thinks the registry is a deterrent to a crime, then why do we not have a Registry for drunk drivers, people that steal identities, bank robbers, crimes that are committed with a gun etc. If a sex offender is so dangerous that the nation needs to know what he/she has done, then they need to be in a place where they have no contact with anyone. The Fl. registry sure didn’t keep Epstein from re offending. Someone with some sense needs to take a hard look at the registry and use it for what they don’t want to call it, PUNISHMENT for those like Epstein’s crimes in 2007.