Sex Offender Registry--Do you believe it works?

Question

Do you think the registry idea works? Why or why not?

1 Point I would like you to consider--if these people are such a threat, why did the government let them out of jail?

Answer 1

Having been raped by 2 men when I was about 8 years old, when I was young and stupid, I though there wasn't enough that we could do against sex offenders.

As I got older, I came to appreciate that wrongful convictions are a LOT more common than anyone wants to believe -- and part of that wrongfulness derives from "strict liability" laws governing what constitutes rape, statutory rape, sexual battery, sexual assault, and any number of substantially related offenses.

First, you need a little background: at least in Mississippi courts, criminal matters have to be taken care of before the civil docket is heard. Some years ago, I had brought a civil suit against a company that had defrauded me through breach of contract, bad faith, tortious breach of contract and slander.

One morning during my 13-month case, while I waited for the court to dispense with the criminal matters, I sat in the gallery during a "rape" case. A 19-year-old guy engaged (with the consent of the "victim's" parents) had sexual intercourse with his fiance, a 16-year-old woman. At the time of the act, each had been 1 year younger (18/15).

The two had been dating without supervision for 2 years; neither could imagine that the law considered their union to be a crime, though the guy volunteered that he now understood the law applied not only to forcible intercourse and bad faith, but also to people in love with each other.

I dont know if the mother of the 16-yo was ordinarily a rational person; from her admitted lack of good judgment, and her obsession with the criminal nature of the sexual union, it seemed to me that either she was either nuts, or she entrapped the 19-yo, or he did something to upset her and she used the criminal law to avenge herself on him.

As I listened with fascination to the trial, which took (iirc) less than an hour, I told myself that the judge would either realize that the criminal suit was frivolous OR that he would consider the wishes of the alleged victim and the alleged offender, and either "dismiss with prejudice" the criminal charges or at least suspend judgment for maybe 2 years post marriage of the couple (to make sure the guy wasn't being a jerk).

The guy got 20 years in PRISON, and has to register as a sexual predator for the rest of his life! There were other stipulations as well, but I was astonished. This was CLEARLY a case in which informed consent was given between the actors, each of whom fully understood the nature and quality of the act or acts performed, and neither of whom felt in the least bit violated.

From watching CourtTV and from research, I know that there is a HUGE difference between jurisdictions concerning what is and what is not a "registerable" "sex offender" -- and that results in outrageous problems (in BOTH directions) with how the "Sex Offender Registry" law is applied.

I think the Sex Offender Registry serves only to make targets out of the registrants: like the guy I cited in my example, they will be persecuted for the remainder of their respective lives -- for having been convicted of committing acts that were not legitimate offenses.

They're often abused in prison (which, unless you're an Islamic terrorist, is not justice). They're put under proverbial microscopes both by Walter Mittys and by bad cops, so that they are upon release held to a higher behavioral standard than the standard applied to the general community in which they live.

They're subject to endless torment and/or threat of grave bodily injury at the hands of self-righteous thugs, the latter taking it upon themselves to "finish" or "perfect" the justice that was (in their opinions) either denied or left unfinished by the legal system.

Punishment is about remediation (or what many among the religious community would call "repentance"). In the same way that no just penalty seeks anything beyond the protection of society from the predatory nature of a bad actor, no just punishment seeks anything beyond the repentance of the bad actor. Everything beyond that should be restricted to civil remedy.

Answer 2

Of course it works but not 100% - And any information listing at all should be considered critical to society. I feel there are many on the list however, who may not be true sex offenders. They simply got involved with someone younger than themselves and someone who is under age, and were reported to the authorities even though it was consensual or perpertrated by the one who filed the charges. There are parents who in an effort to stop their daughters or sons from seeing a particular individual because of his or her age, may report such an incident. This however, does not mean the person is a sex offender. There are cases out there where 16 year old girls married older men and are still together. This does not mean the person is a sex offender. Yes, the list is good and it is needed, but hopefully it does not ruin the lives of those who really should not be regarded as true sex offenders.

They let them out because it is the judge's call and the offense. And it has been known that a judge will make the wrong call. "Again, it is a difficult issue. Remember Letourneau? I do not recall her being someone out there hunting up young people. I cannot be sure, but thought it was a once in a life time event. Who really knows.

Answer 3

1

Answer 4

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Answer 5

I don't becuase where I live, there is a street behind both the high school and the middle school and every other house belongs to a sex offender. Why would the government let them live there?

Answer 6

It only works if you actually check it and alert schools and authorities if you know someone is breaking the relevant laws.

You can't keep people in jail forever.

Answer 7

It helps . better then nothing.if up to me they would rot in jail or worse depending on the offense.they need the room for the new scum coming in.