UT: Officials consider streamlining Utah Sex Offender Registry
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.
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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.