Will Sex Offense Registry Changes be Part of Criminal Justice Reform?
The killing of George Floyd at the hands of law enforcement has sparked outrage and mass protests across the nation. Calls for police reform have created yet another divide among the American public. As we move toward what will likely be significant changes to the criminal justice system, will individuals on the sex offense registry be included in those reforms?
Why So Many Laws?
Throughout history the level of outrage associated with various types of criminals has changed, yet the moral disgust directed at sex offenses and sex offenders has remained constant. We use terms like “sexual predator” and “monster” indiscriminately to refer to individuals who have committed crimes ranging from minor sexual offenses to violent sexual assaults that end in murder. We pass laws to control sexual offenders based on the most high-profile and serious cases, yet most offenders do not fit these categories.
While legal control over sexual behavior can be traced to the earliest of civilizations, the 1980s and 1990s is when sex offense legislation began its dramatic rise in the U.S. There was an increase in the number of child sexual abuse cases prosecuted by the courts and recounted in the media. The high-profile disappearance of Jacob Wetterling, the sexual assault and murder of Megan Kanka, the abduction and murder of Amber Hagerman, and the kidnapping and murder of Polly Klaas were all presumed to involve children brutally harmed or murdered by previously convicted sexual offenders. These events launched a new wave of stranger-danger panic and get-tough legislation which remains today, despite minimal, if any, impact on sex offense recidivism or community safety.
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I always tell people that I am happy over any improvement, no matter how small it is. As I search for articles on registrants/criminal justice reform, it often is so depressing. This one in Wisconsin offers a ray of hope:
https://www.hngnews.com/sun_prairie_star/news/article_a1d5fb18-0e36-5def-9f47-75dba1972a9a.html
Whenever I forget how different FL is from other states, articles like this remind me.
Not every state has it’s tentacles wrap around their registrants like Florida. I still can’t believe it’s getting away with fraud when it comes to inflating their numbers just to get money. All Florida officials should be charged with fraud and put this draconian system in the history books.
Also US Passports contain a Sex Offender statement which now results in denial of entry to many countries. This statement does not consider the level of the offense or if the passport holder is no longer required to register.
My attorney has a quote in his office…”create more laws catch more criminals”. In my opinion the new SO laws that just came out were designed to replace the pot smoker arrest (business). Are what we are doing criminal? Forgetting to register, not adding a vehicle, covering water mark on ID in order to work or see an unbiased doctor, Facebook with friends and family, car unowned parked in yard. This exceeds the intent of law and order. None of that’s a criminal act when unaccompanied by malice. The restrictions are worthless and actually makes it more difficult to catch predators because they simply goto greater lengths to hide their identity. (Case where guy was using neighbors WiFi ect.) Has the felon gun laws stopped felons from using guns to kill and protect against arrest and do illegal business? The laws have made it near impossible for most to begin a new life those that can find work I’m sure most are working far below aptitude.
People shouldn’t be deigned health care for any reason. We work have insurance and that needs to be fought until the registry and torn down. Also the lending process I’ve been getting rejected even though I have 807 credit score and enough money to cover the loan amount in the bank. I’m never told why. This all started about 7 years ago before then I was borrowing piles of money to fund projects. Now I’m turned down everywhere unless it’s private.
Hopefully we are finally coming to the point in this nation where the quality of the outcome of law enforcement is going to be considered above the quantity of jobs that it produces. The integration of all citizens into the fabric of this nation will serve us much better than the continued focus on the past failures of some people…all of which have had failures either identified or not identified. Let those who continually violate the law pay their price while those who have taken action to correct their failures be restored to the opportunities that this nation was founded to provide.
Captain Munsey, I have a quick question. I ask simply out of curiosity.
I think what you just said (above) is stated very well! I think is was clear, concise and eloquent.
My question is, have you posted this comment on any other website, newspaper letters-to-the-editor or social media?
I think that, probably, WE all agree with you, in most things that you say – and say so well!
But these things need to be said to somemone else besides “the choir”.
Just asking, ok?
JJJJ, I’m working on it. I have a whole list of media sites to address. I have been busy yesterday and will be today with the NARSOL web conference. I am no stranger to the media. I try to filter all that I gather and then put it together in a logical format that the media might be willing to print. I am a member of the FAC media team that is headed by Sarah who definitely has a personal reason for dedication. We are working on getting the word out…not just in Florida but around the country. Unfortunately there’s a lot of ‘news’ out there to compete with and the RSO subject is not on the top of the media list.
Thanks for the reply, Captain Munsey.
I can see that you are doing your part.
I too am working every day for this cause of registry abolition (as a regional volunteer).
Thanks for all that you do.
I pledge to keep working also!
JJJJ, I know that you have emailed and mailed many letters to help our cause. Thank you for that.
Capt. Munsey has probably written more letters to politicians and media than anyone else has that posts at this FAC website. You are correct in saying that he states everything well: clear, concise and eloquent.
I do not begin to compare what I do with all that Capt. Munsey does, but with any spare time that I can find, I am posting at media sites and writing letters. It is not always easy for someone like me, who is technologically illiterate, to make my comments stick, but I still try.
One of the projects for the Media Committee now is posting comments on articles dealing with criminal justice reform — don’t forget about the hundreds of thousands of registrants who are leading law-abiding lives.
I cannot remember what I have said previously — so forgive me if this is repetitious. I recently mailed one of Capt. Munsey’s letters to 18 Florida state senators and to Trump. We are writing letters to Florida and national newspapers. We are blessed to have a summer intern who is working on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts for FAC. Check out the FAC Facebook page. It is a lot different than it was 6 weeks ago.
The Media Committee and every other FAC committee have people spending hours trying to get our message out. After seeing what we do in the news media day after day, could you imagine what could be accomplished if all almost-one-million registrants and their family/friends were to work together in one accord?
Hi SarahF.
Thank you for your informative, courteous and thoughtful reply!
I’m glad that there are others (like myself) who are working day and night for our cause – the cause of Liberty and Justice for ALL.
Sometimes I, too, feel frustrated that there are about 1 million registrants in the US, yet the attendance number that was announced on Day 1 of the Annual NARSOL Conference was somewhere between 3 and 4 hundred! (Unless I misheard the figure)
I think that those of us who are working so hard need to share what we are doing with the rest of the group on a regular basis. – Not to self-aggrandize or seek applause, but rather, to encourage others to work furiously for our cause, as well!
I am sometimes blunt and abrasive. Sometimes I am very stubborn, but I am working my fingers to the bone.
I am currently working on a meeting place for Region 8. And as soon as I have secured one, and it is safe to associate in person again, I pledge to work on making this 5 county area in South West Florida a place of education and activism.
To me, the most sacred ideals of humanity are those that espouse liberty and justice. And the United States Constitution is not a rag for some persons with the ideals of hatred to twist to suit their xenophobic needs! I did my time (IN FULL), and I am a citizen!
Maybe I sound over-zealous. Okay, I think having a zealot or two in the crowd is a good mix. (How about you?) But I also know that I have a lot of anger towards the system (for reasons stated above), so I need my fellow activists to remind me, sometimes, that you catch more flies with honey.
So, thanks for your kind response and your hard work! Thank you too, Captain (and all of you)!
PS: Don’t you think (as I do) that regaining the vote should be priority #1? What are we doing with this Out-Of-State Challenge thing? (Just my opinion)
I wish I would of known that you could post a comment on FACs website without being a member. If I would of known that I’d been more vocal instead of hearing about some bill and writing in opposition. Even though I don’t live in Florida I will still make my voice heard because what the state is doing is a disgrace. I tried writing to legislators in Michigan about abolishing their registry but I’ve gotten nothing so far. Even though I’m not a resident and my voice doesn’t mean anything I still have to try.
Thank you, JJJJ. It was good to read everything you had to say. You are truly a worker for our cause.
I agree that regaining the right to vote is a top priority. I have also been commenting, where media sites allow me to do so, on every article that I come across concerning Amendment 4 — everyone should have the right to vote, not just certain groups. I also remind them that they promised to come back and fight for those with a past sex offense.
I can say this: The majority, probably 98% of sex offender laws in FL, since the Supreme court decision in 03 have been made by “perfect, squeaky clean, white” lawmakers(Lauren Book comes to mind). U tell me, is this a form of white priviledge?
Pretty sure this has nothing to do with race.
take a poll then. I think ur wrong and i think u kno it has something to do with it, if not a small part… Would there be an AA daughter to a wealthy lobbyist pulling the same stunts as this woman has?
Good point, I don’t think that her organization would get as much money thrown at it if Lauren Book and her daddy were black.
However- this is NOT surprising since Florida is a hotbed of racism and hypocrisy.
Hell Lauren could be brown and she’d think the state needs to pay for what has been done to her. Nope that’s your daddy being a negligent parent. Go back to Plantation and shut up Barbie!! She made sex dolls illegal in Florida and she’s got more plastic then a doll. She’s Fake all around
LOL
“I’m a Barbie Girl in my Barbie world!” LMAO!!!
Lauren Book has a heart full of hatred and bigotry.
Her Father, Ron, is worse…he doesn’t have a heart full of anything but self-interest.
They are a pair of sad, sad humans!
I need a Lauren Barbie Book parody. Only thing I got is no hanky panky cause I’m Barbie Miss entitled cause what I say is always right. I got Florida on its knees and they will do what I please!! So stop fighting and massage my feet.
If we’re saying that the registry disproportionately affects minorities, won’t argue:
https://theappeal.org/black-men-disproportionately-represented-on-sex-offender-registries/
If anything SO laws have helped other races because SO Registrant and their family are deemed at the hand of the government below every race on earth. I remember when I moved to a new neighborhood they only black guy living there looked me up and posted the neighborhood. I looked him up he was arrested for violent crimes, selling drugs so far from a school, 6 years in prison and I posted his ass also. Lawyers, law enforcement, government, politicians usually affect people sometime in their lives to earn distrust. The SO list curbs that by pointing to one group of people on the registry saying “no these are the bad people, we are the good people protecting you from all this and the world is safer only because of us” No it is not. I think the down tick is SO crimes isn’t because the registry or the sensation or fear of it, but people are less trustworthy of EVERYONE around them. Parents line up in their cars at bus stops now look around people are smarter and protecting their own kids not the registry!
Freddy
I agree and I’ve watched Lenore Skenazy’s “Fear all the time” video. If parents only rely on what experts tell them regarding the safety of their children I can see why they are fearful. There’s no such thing as being a 100% safe unless you are a hermit. People have bought into I need the experts because I’m to stupid to use common sense and raise my kids on my own mentality.
If you say 98% of Florida’s laws has been sponsored or passed because of Lauren’s victim hood I would endorse that; however her daddy is the bigger threat to Florida.
I certainly hope so since LE has used the registry as an excuse to abuse those on it for decades AND they have made it a lifetime punishment so that (even if you are falsely accused) the abuse will never end!
The protests are about social change including police profiling and police abuse – BOTH of which we as RSOs must endure or be locked up!
The protests and calls for social change MUST include those who have been victims of this unfair and these clearly unconstitutional punishments. We are unfairly labelled and all stereotyped as threats even in the case of victimless “crimes” and told that we are mentally ill and unable to change!
We need to be a part of this moment and if we truly are entering a “new normal” then we MUST be included in these changes and reforms!
#ACAB