Thanks, Daniel, for your article on "Truth and Lies"

 #1 Lie - ( told by legislators and politicians across America in order to enact laws that seem to be the right thing but are actually exacerbating the problem of what to do about people convicted of sex offenses) Sexual offenders often pose a high risk of engaging in sex offenses even after being released from incarceration. 943.0435 section 12 (2005) Similar claims are made by lawmakers all across the country to enact ordinances and other new laws.  

#1 Truth - There is a widely held but erroneous belief that sex offenders continually repeat their offenses. Authoritative studies indicate that 3 out of 4 adult sex offenders do not re-offend./S.A.T.A. cure sort news Fall 07`\ According to a fact sheet published by the national center on institutions and alternative sentencing 87% of once caught sex offenders do not go on to be re-arrested for a subsequent new sex offense while the naysayers in the media and some legislators and politicians continue to propagate the myth of high recidivism for convicted sex offenders. Their reporting is not based on corroborative data. However the N.C.I.A.S shows that their figures have been substantiated by multiple studies. Patty Wetterling is quoted as saying " most shocking to me is that sex offenders are less likely to re-offend than commonly thought "! The only fact material to subjecting offender to designation as a sex offender is a qualifying conviction with no consideration as to whether an offender is at risk to commit another crime. /894 So2d 924\ /538 U.S. 84 page17\ The recidivism rate for sex offenders according to the 2003 department of justice study is 5.3%. (95% do not re-offend).    

#2 Lie - Sex offenders are all scumbags who contribute nothing to society, have no life and can never change their ways!  

 #2 Truth - Sometimes teachers end up with sex offender charges such as former teacher Debra Lefave 12-05-07 USA Today. Sometimes they are politicians as in the case of Mark Foley (Newsweek 10-09-06) or representative Bob Allen who was caught requesting sex in a public bathroom during a vice sting (News journal 11-14-07) Everybody has heard about the catholic priest sex scandals but will somebody please bring to attention this local hero, In Lind, Nebraska a registered sex offender rescued a 3 year old boy wandering city streets while his parents slept. The registrant picked the child up and promptly drove to the nearest gas station to call police (USA Today 10-25-07 page 10a). Through treatment , community and family support , and personal commitment most persons who have sexually abused can become responsible members of society and those at risk to sexually act out can successfully learn ways not to abuse. (Yellow S.A.T.A. pamphlet). After pleading child sexual abuse years prior to the act (legislative) John Doe successfully completed a treatment program, remarried, established a business, was reunited with his family, completed supervision, was granted custody of a minor daughter, and after a courts determination was ruled not a pedophile who has a very low risk of re-offending. (538 U.S. 84).                                    

#3 Lie - The registry laws are legal and help protect society and our children from sex offenders.

#3 Truth - Savannah democrat Regina Thames says legislatures vote for statutes that do not work and even exacerbate the problem they are intending to fix, out of fear of not voting on any bill that sex offenders a hard time. For appearance sakes they vote for a bill that makes the streets less safe for children while likely violating registered sex offenders’ constitutional rights. (Prison Legal News Dec. 06, Volume 17 #2 ). To the general public the new laws being passed pertaining to people convicted of sex offenses seem like a fine idea, unfortunately these laws are built on hysteria and misconceptions. Even worse these laws shift resources away from preventing sexual abuse, supporting survivors and creating community safety! Despite no evidence to show that these laws protect children from sexual violence many states and locales continue to pass these laws that have been proven to promote public harassment, housing discrimination, physical assaults, murder and suicides! Even more disturbing is that residency requirements cause instability which increases the risk of re-offense. Research has shown that sex offenders with domestic stability are less likely to commit new sex offenses. The evidence is overwhelming these laws cause great harm to people subject to them as well as their families while supporters of these laws are unable to point to convincing evidence of public safety gains from these laws.              

Written by DanielC

Truth and Lies expanded edition coming soon!  =