State officials are considering changes to the sex offender registry, starting with deeper data gathering to determine whether it is safe for more offenders to be removed from the system after long-term treatment and no repeat crimes.
Monica Diaz, Utah Sentencing Commission executive director, said a lack of more precise analysis prevents such potential flexibility.
“We may not capture who we think we are capturing,” she said. “There may be some in the registry who have a low risk to re-offend and we may be missing some with moderate or high risk.”
A work group of legislators, prosecutors, victims’ advocates and others are studying the issue, Diaz reported Tuesday to the Legislature’s Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Interim Committee.
When the state created the registry, its goals were:
1) to help law enforcement monitor offenders. I would argue just the opposite happens because they have everyone on their, not just those who need to be.
inform the public. Well the have accomplished something. The public is informed. The fact that this gives most of them a false sense of security since most offenses are first time offenders known to the victim apparently doesn’t matter.
3) deter repeat crimes – She admits this is not the case. Recidivism rates have been studied and they did not change.
4) increase community safety – We all know this has not happened either because once again, 95% are first time offenders know to the victim, not someone living down the street.
Diaz said, “but data on the success of the other goals is insufficient.” It really isn’t. There have been numerous studies, as we all know, that show none of what the registry is supposed to accomplish happens and in most cases, the opposite happens. If it did, offense and recidivism rates would of nose dived the last 20 years and they have not changed at all.
I hope they actually accomplish something motivating other States to do the same.
Not rushing to pat them on the back here. Politicians always claim to want to see hard data, but always disregard it if it doesn’t mesh with the politics of the moment.
A lot of this is under-reported and we don’t know how many (offenders) are out there,” Romero said. “We don’t want to forget all those victims and survivors out there.
Sorry but this has become a very lame talking point for both political parties. We cannot play psychic and talk about “under-reported” sex offenses as a means of making life harder for those who were punished. To say that there are all these unreported sex crimes as a way to heighten laws and restrictions is like saying “Sightings of Santa Claus are under reported but he’s known to enter homes via chimneys so we have to toughen the laws on home invasion.”
Maestro,
Although Santa doesn’t have a Registry, he DOES have a List of who is naughty or nice. But it is used for HIS personal purposes and does NOT share it with the public. And his list is punishment because if you are naughty, you get a clump of charcoal instead of a toy, but it is also rewarding because if you are good, you get REMOVED from the naughty list automatically.
Cherokeejack,
My point was that if something is unreported (or as they like to say – under reported) then how can we know “it” exists? This is a scare tactic. Fear mongering. If my car was broken into but I didn’t report it, then how can I prove some 10 yrs later that it was broken into? There may be a few cases of adults or children who don’t report a sexual offense for a long time, but what LE agencies are selling the public (and the public is buying it like toilet paper during COVID) is that there are MILLIONS of unreported cases. Again, you cannot make such a claim because without a report there is no PROOF to make statistics from. You follow?
But it’s just the right fear monger language that gets people all riled up. It’s the same as the other over used and over exaggerated slogan: “If it saves just one child”.
Maestro,
I was not arguing with you, I was taking your Santa Comparison and running with it. Basically stating even Santa forgives you when you are bad then rewards you when you stop being bad. But the registry that is NOT punishment ( Throws up ) DOES in fact punish because we A) might as well be on probation with all the reporting and B) if leads to violence against us and our families. C) They try and say it is not more information that someone could gather from requesting your criminal records but we know that is BS as well as most people and not going to bother doing that, plus you have to pay for them. AND D) IN Florida we are on for life and very few have actually been able to get off of it here. I do not want to die as a registered sex offender. Although when I do, at least I know God forgives and forgets and HE really knows our hearts and intentions.
A lot of times, with the rape culture, sex offenders are under-reported,” Burton said. “Capturing data is difficult.
Rape culture??? This was a far leftist, feminist talking point during the Obama era. Anyone remember “mattress girl”? She carried a mattress around her college campus claiming she was raped and that there is a “rape culture”. Turned out, she was a fraud and lied about being raped. There is no “rape culture”. If rape was a culture, it would be happening out in the public eye and no one would do anything about it because it would be no different than the “culture” of decorating for holidays or having a cookout in the back yard in the summertime. Culture indeed!
Rubish!
What’s stopping FL from doing this? And how many years away are we from FL legislature getting to this point?
Does Florida have something similar to Utah’s Sentencing Commission?
My charges were 30 years ago.. This type of common sense is so far over due its alamsot sad. I’v wished for 20 years that this state would do some tyoe of (FAIR) Evaluation process. And done by a third neutral party not controlled or influenced by the state. Or at a minimum loose this BS law that say you can’t file for removal if you have even a misdemeanor crime anytime since your last day of imprisonment or probation. Get a felony speeding ticket. And you will be denied. Be there tried that.
It’s good to see there are actually a few rational people left in the world. Utah already has one of the more understanding criminal systems. Mormon history knows what it’s like to be on the receiving end of bigotry and religious persecution . Perhaps they are are more understanding of what it’s like and the damage it produces.
Monica seem to be much more educated on the subject than most. Interesting that she recognizes the collateral damage insinuating it is actually punishment.
This DOES NOT speak to the fact that many of us were added retroactively to a registry that did not even exist when we were arrested. I am on 30 years now without a re-offense.
If they removed the retroactive people on the list, there would be maybe 1/4 of the people on it. At least those on it who knew going into court there was a registry had a chance to bargain. I did not get that luxury since there was not such thing when I was sentenced. I did my time and wanted to start over, but I am basically on probation for life with the registry. AND I know I am not alone.
I guess it will take everyone in the U.S to be on some sort of registry for something to click. A dead beat Dad registry. Animal abuse registry ( That already exists ), a bad employee registry so jobs can deny loser employees. A bad judge registry for judges who are known for harsh sentences. etc etc etc
Domestic violence registry. 30–50% recidivism.
My gosh…FINALLY, Some for with some compassion and common sense. They need to talk to the draconian law makers here in Florida!
Well spoke Dave! There is no amount of registration schemes or monitoring that will prevent re-offending. A person either will or they won’t. If they have gone , 5 years, 10years, 20 years, 25 years and they have not reoffended…. lifetime registration is more about punishment than containment or monitoring.
I totally agree with you !!We need more Officials in Fl. that has compassion and the guts to take on the necessity of lifetime registration.
Not sure how a 72 year old man could be viewed as a sexual threat. I don’t remember the last time that part of me functioned. 21 years ago my computer was found with 6 deleted photos of possibly 16 year olds. I’ve been single for many years because of my registry status. I truly have no sexual interest anymore. Not sure how anyone could look at an old man like me and see anything other than the registry being punishment. I certainly isn’t keeping anyone safe from me as I am zero threat to anyone including myself
Most politician in florida especially mami dade area the two sheriffes are constantly doing internet sex sting most never had records or even victims claim the law enforcement knows what they intended on doing maybe as we all keep writing.and family of ones on registery maybe every one on it except the ones who really needs it i am trying my best guys i wrote to a lot all the time the violations is what kills you all i am there for yous i love this site