LAKE MONROE, FLORIDA – March 17, 2014
This past Saturday, the ACLU of Florida held a forum on the efficacy of sex offender residency restrictions. The event, moderated by CBS 4 Reporter Jim DeFede, sought to answer the question of whether the residency restrictions imposed on sex offenders are based on evidence or politics and, more importantly, whether they are actually making our communities safer.
The panel for this forum was comprised of Jeanne Baker; an ACLU cooperating attorney who has worked on cases challenging residency restrictions, Gail Colletta; President of the Florida Action Committee, Dawn Thompson; assistant executive director Kristi House child advocacy center and Marc Sarnoff; Miami City Commissioner.
Surprisingly, although the panel included a children’s advocate and one of the commissioners who was responsible for architecting measures to zone sex offenders out of communities, the panelists all agreed that the restrictions were based on politics, ran contrary to empirical evidence and studies consistently show they are ineffective and that they are not making our community safer.
The most shocking facts to emerge from the forum were that of the 2,017 sex offenders in Miami-Dade County. 82 are incarcerated and 42 are deceased, leaving 1,893 in the community. Of those; 342 (18%) are registered as “Transient” (homeless) and 224 (12%) are listed as “Absconded” (have gone underground to avoid registration/residency requirements). An unintended consequence of residency restrictions is that almost one-third of registrants are harder to track.
Those who have absconded are likely in the community; police just don’t know where they are and certainly cannot check up on them. Those who are transient lack housing stability and are removed from family support; both are triggers for re-offense.
Not only have the residency restrictions created an intolerable and inhumane lifetime punishment imposed on registrants, but they are endangering the citizens of Miami-Dade.
Florida Action Committee (FAC),
founded in 2006, is a state-wide consortium of concerned citizens and
professionals whose purpose is to promote the prevention of sexual abuse
while preserving the safety and dignity of all citizens through
carefully structured laws targeting the truly violent, forced, and/or
dangerous predatory acts of sex. FAC believes that many aspects of the
current approach to sex offenders seriously undermine justice and
actually increase the threat of sexual assault against others,
particularly children. FAC opposes a publicized registry of sex
offenders and seeks to bring an end to the humiliation of people who
have already paid for their crimes. FAC asserts that only by supporting
justice for all people—offenders and victims alike can a truly safe
society be built and secured for all Americans.
Hate and ignorance have pervaded over the truth. With courage to stand up to the bigotry, the truth is coming to light. Thank you to all brave people who stand up for the truth!
ReplyDeleteSex offender; a label, not a definition.
http://livinghigherconsciousness.blogspot.com/2014/03/cease-using-label-name-calling-is.html?m=1
There are many issues involved here. The sovereign right of a parent (any parent) to be with their child in public places is mandated not just by natural law (a mother bear even has the right to be with her cubs) but also spiritual law and Constitutional law. The reason for having a sex offender registry was for the worst of the worst (child molesters and rapist) but if someone is deemed so bad then why are they even amongst us? Why do we have parole and probation departments? Is it not to ensure those that get out of prisons and jails are safe to be in society? Registered sex offenders are put into programs of accountability and therapy that make them walk a thin line. While they are on parole or probation I can understand them being on a sex offender registry. One that anyone could access through their local sheriff's department, but that's not the case. Today anyone can get the registrant's address and come into their homes and kill them and their family (which has been done). So, the Sex Offender Registry is a form of Living Death that instills fear. Where are we in pre-1945 Germany? Hitler would be proud. The right of a parent to be with their child is the most fundamental of rights. If we resolve to remove such rights from any parent and do nothing to fight for that right we ourselves deserve the kind of state of affairs given by tyrants. The registrant's child safety is put at risk not to allow their parent to be with them in public places. A parent is the first line of protection for a child. To remove that element violates every right of not just the parent but that of the child also. The Supreme Court says to register is not punitive but regulatory. Really? What can be more punitive than not to allow a parent to be with their child? The registry itself has gotten way out of hand that it would dare go this far. The registered sex offender has become today's new Whipping Boy for votes and politicians line up to add lashes to them with every harmful requirement put against them and the public will gladly applause it. The Constitution was put in place to protect the Rights of the few from the actions of the many. We have ignored that Constitution in the past due to following what was popular and not that which was right. First it was native Americans, then Japanese Americans put in interment camps, the Communist list by McCarthism, the plight of African Americans in slavery but who dares to stand against doing harm to registered sex offenders? No preacher, no politician and few judges (thank God for the few judges). Proverbs 16:25 says, there is a way to a man that seems right but the end thereof is the ways of death (destruction). What feeds the fervor is the feeling of insecurity Americans have. They're not attending to their own children by being to busy on their I-phones and computers while junior is in his room being taken care of by the porn-site babysitter. Parents aren't in control so what better way than to outwardly blame and rip into some without face demonized villain (the registered sex offender)? Again remember these people have done their time, probation and therapy. Then there's the fear mongering media that leaves us all out in the cold. Where there is no trust in law enforcement, our government or anyone else. So, those that govern fight to make it just one more day by appeasing the populous by tougher and tougher laws. before it's all over we'll have a country no one wants and no one has the backbone or know how to change. Let's start now by ending the registry. Have a backbone and do what is right not what is popular. TRUTH
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