Should Colorado still use the term “sex offender”? A state board is considering new language.
Seeking to move away from labels that can work against a person’s rehabilitation, Colorado’s Sex Offender Management Board plans to vote Friday to replace the term “sex offender” in its own guiding principles.
The board is considering several new terms, including clients, adults or individuals “who commit sexual offenses,” “who engage in sexually abusive behavior,” who are “in treatment for engaging in sexually abusive behaviors” or “who have committed sexual offenses.”
The board, which governs the standards for treatment of people convicted of sex offenses, is far from united on the issue of “person-first language” in this context. Members split 8-7 in the spring on a vote to adopt new guiding principles concerning language. Friday’s expected vote would finish off that process.
“I think the biggest thing is research really shows us that assigning a label has the potential for negative effects in rehabilitation,” said Kimberly Kline, a licensed counselor and chair of the board.
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Governor quashes change in language:
https://www.denverpost.com/2021/12/20/sex-offender-label-colorado-jared-polis/amp/
Kudos to the Denver Post, who in this article eschewed the term “sex offenders” in favor of “people who committed sex offenses.” The Denver Post caught on!
The Colorado SOMB decided today to replace the term “sex offender” with the phrase “adult who commits sex offenses.” This is like replacing a certain derogatory term with “The N Word.” We still know what you mean. This is insufficient, and it is present tense language that implies everyone is actively offending. But there is a 20 day window to submit better suggestions. Go here and click on the “submit public comment” link:
https://dcj.colorado.gov/boards-commissions/sex-offender-management-board
We STRONGLY encourage all of you to submit your comments.
PLEASE!
Wow. I thought they were trying to improve something. That phrase is actually worse and even more inaccurate. That level of incompetency is pretty funny actually.
I caught my listing on the Oppression Lists (OLs) over 2 decades ago. Today, I’m not anything related to “sex offender” or whatever nonsense terms they want to use. I’m just a PFR.
The great thing is that because of the OLs, I don’t have any remorse about what I did. I won’t even acknowledge it any longer. Couldn’t care less about it or what people think. I thank the OLs for giving me that peace.
They can keep calling me names if they want. They might as well because I’m not going to stop calling them names or making them pay consequences for the mere existence of the OLs. Amerika is a hateful place.