All too often, a once deemed “low-risk, first-time” sex offender strikes again. With a growing list of registered sex offenders, one can only imagine the difficulty of keeping track of them all. Ranging from petty infractions to the most severe infractions, every sex offender is legally obliged to register as a sex offender on The National Sex Offender Public Registry in every state of residence from 5 years to a lifetime. The National Sex Offender Public Registry first made its debut in 2005, exposing to the public the identity of sex offenders as well as their offenses (Metal, Valeriya). Although every sex offender shall be held accountable for their inexcusable acts, not all deserve the extreme forms of punishment and public humiliation some states enforce. America’s sex laws are undoubtedly necessary but they would be a lot more effective if the forms of punishment were changed in order to protect innocent people.
Many states in the U.S. have enforced their own laws pertaining to registered sex offenders. For example, in Florida, it was first passed that those who are convicted of violent sexual offenses are psychologically evaluated by at least two psychologists upon their prison release. Psychologists evaluate these sex offenders based on their “mental abnormality” which then determines if the offender is ready to join society again, under special circumstances of course. If these sex offenders are judged to still be high-risk and dangerous, they are to be committed against their will to the Florida Civil Commitment Center in Arcadia, Florida. This facility houses over 600 men considered to still be high-risk offenders that the state fears will commit offenses again such as rape, molestation and assault. Fortunately, this has been passed as law in over 20 states since Florida first implemented it (Salzhauer, Eliana). Not too far from Florida, the state of Georgia has also implemented their own harsh laws for registered sex offenders. Georgia made it a point to all of its citizens that sex offenders are not welcome in the peachy state. Those who violate the state’s sex offender laws within the state’s boundaries will be sure to have a prison sentence of 10 years minimum (Geraghty, Sarah). In addition, living situations for registered sex offenders has increasingly become difficult in Georgia. According to the state’s laws, “no sex offender could live within 1,000 feet of a school, child care facility, park, recreation facility, skating rink, neighborhood center, gymnasium, or any similar facility” (Geraghty, Sarah). The chances of a registered sex offender being around a child is very slim with this law in effect in the state of Georgia. Surely, the law does not guarantee that a child will never be in the path of the offender, but it definitely takes a step in reducing that chance. This law should continue to be in effect as it could potentially protect many innocent children.
On the other hand, life has gotten a lot more complicated for registered sex offenders in Corpus Christi, Texas. State Judge, J. Manuel Banales, has ruled that high-risk sex offenders be very known to the general public. This order entails that high-risk sex offenders post warning signs on their homes and their cars (“Forcing Sex Offenders”). As if it wasn’t embarrassing enough for registered sex offenders’ personal information and criminal records to be public, Judge Banales is essentially enforcing public humiliation. Although posting signs on the homes and cars of registered sex offenders poses as a warning to innocent people, it then turns the sex offenders into potential victims of violence and retaliation. Judge Banales’ ruling makes sex offenders targets, putting a big red ‘X’ on their backs, making them prone to confrontation from those that hold grudges or disapprove of their offense. Registered sex offenders do their time in prison for many years, an already tedious and draining punishment. Even after doing their time, sex offenders can never redeem themselves of their mistakes and can never live a normal life. The punishment does not end when their prison sentence ends. Every day that a sex offender lives, is essentially an ongoing punishment. While one potential victim becomes safe, another person becomes the victim: the registered sex offender. Judge Banales’ ruling is an unjust approach to ending crime in the sex offender’s life. Because this rule now poses a threat to sex offenders, it should be revised or even withdrawn.
Similarly enough, in 1992 Louisiana passed the “Scarlett Letter Law,” which requires registered sex offenders to mail postcards to their neighbors stating their names, addresses and crimes committed (Kirszner 653). There is no doubt that this method can be useful to neighbors, especially those with children, but it could also be a problem. Because all registered sex offenders are required to participate in notifying their neighbors, no matter what tier they fall under, they are exposing their personal lives to the general public, even if they pose no risks. On the contrary, the “Scarlett Letter Law” could be a way for low-risk sex offenders, such as those that were charged with public indecency, to make it known to their neighbors that they pose no serious threat to their community. This method should be effective in all states as it could differentiate high-risk and low-risk offenders for communities with children.
In June of 2013 in Jacksonville, Florida, Donald James Smith took 8-year-old Cherish Perrywinkle and her family on a shopping spree in a nearby Walmart. After spending a few hours inside the store, Smith convinced Mrs. Perrywinkle that he would take Cherish with him to buy the family McDonalds and that they would be right back. But, Smith and Cherish never came back and they did not get McDonalds. Instead, the most horrendous turn of events took place. Smith raped the 8 year-old, then strangled her to death and finally dumped her innocent body in a dumpster behind a church (Salzhauer, Eliana). In July of 1994, in Hamilton Town, New Jersey, Jesse K. Timmendequas lured 7-year-old Megan Kanka into his home claiming that he wanted to show her his puppy. Megan was never to walk out alive; Timmendequas strangled her with is belt until she took her last breath, raped her, stuffed her into a small toy chest and dumped the chest at a park nearby their homes (Goldman, John J.). Donald James Smith murdered Cherish Perrywinkle just weeks after being released from a civil commitment facility where he spent 3 years for various offenses he committed over the span of ten years (Salzhauer, Eliana). Jesse K. Timmendequas had previously been convicted of two sexual offenses and to make matters worse, he shared his home with two other sex offenders he met in prison (Goldman, John J.). Had these registered sex offenders’ public records been released to the public, the families of Cherish Perrywinkle and Cherish Kanka could have been more prepared in protecting their children. The parents of both children had no idea that these attackers were registered sex offenders nor were they aware of their dangerous and criminal pasts. To protect innocent people, it is essential that a law is passed nationwide where a registry list of sex offenders be mailed to citizens in every state, pertaining to their communities. The online sex offender registry should not be relied on as the most effective way of informing the public of sex offenders because not every citizen has access to Internet. This law can potentially save lives and keep innocent people easily informed of predators.
When a person hears the words “sex offender,” they typically think about the worse case scenario where the offense involves a child. These words have become so mainstream and have put people on high alert when they hear them. But the fact is, not every registered sex offender is guilty of horrendous crimes. There are three kinds, or levels rather, of registered sex offenders. A Tier I sex offender is guilty of a non-violent offense with the general public, such as public indecency or sexting teenagers, and they are required to be registered for 15 years. A Tier II sex offender also is usually guilty of non-violent offenses but instead involves minors, such as human trafficking minors or selling child pornography, and they are required to be registered for 25 years. Lastly, a Tier III sex offender is guilty of serious violent crime(s), usually involving rape or sexually assaulting a minor, and they are required to register for life.
Based on the definition of a Tier I sex offender, it is clear that not all registered sex offenders are guilty of unimaginable crimes even though they are required to register as a sex offender for a long period of time. Take Janet Allison, a 45-year old mother who was arrested and charged as a registered sex offender for committing a “no hands-on” crime (Sex Offender Laws). Ms. Allison was charged with being involved in child molestation because she allowed her daughter’s 17-year old boyfriend to live in her home, while her daughter, 15, was pregnant at the time. The mother of four lived in Georgia, where she was practically run out of her home because it was near a church. In addition, three of Ms. Allison’s children were taken from her and put into foster care and she is not allowed to have anything to do with her daughter and grandson (Sex Offender Laws). This is the perfect example of why sex offender laws need to be reevaluated and some of them changed. Although Ms. Allison allowed her daughter’s boyfriend to live with the family, the daughter was already pregnant. Regardless, it was out of Ms. Allison’s control whether her daughter and the boyfriend were to become sexually active in or out of her home. Because of Georgia’s extreme registered sex offender laws, the Allison family has been broken and completely destroyed. The factors and judgments that make a person a registered sex offender need a serious modification. Innocent people who mean no harm to others, charged with public indecency for example, pose no threat to society and therefore should not be subject to registering as a sex offender. Registering as a sex offender not only takes a toll on the offender’s life, and future, it affects their ability to find employment and establish connections with others. Because being a registered sex offender is a major life-changing offense, the determining of their offenses should not be taken lightly, nor should every case be treated the same.
In retrospect, governments can only go so far in stepping forward to protect citizens from registered sex offenders. It is no secret that children tend to be the easiest targets for sex offenders. A law requiring schools, parks, and any other public areas where children are most commonly present to have sufficient security and supervision she be in effect. Installing camera systems in local parks and facilities could be a successful way to limit or stop child abductions in public. Another option is to require education institutes to educate children on sex offenders and safety tips and procedures should be taught. This could be the most effective way of educating and preparing children in advance in case any of them were to ever be in an uncomfortable situation with an offender. Most often, parents do not bring up the subject of dealing with and/or avoiding offenders because it is a sensitive topic. Although parents should be more willing to educate their children about the dangers our world and society poses, there should be a backup system where children can learn about how to be safe.
In a perfect world, parents wouldn’t have to worry about the safety of their children in their own homes. A neighborhood would be a safe haven for families and their neighbors to get along, look out for one another and trust that their children are safe and surrounded by like-minded parents, families and adults. But in reality, not everyone has the best interest of their neighbors and their children. Sex offenders are everywhere; maybe not on your street but possibly a few streets over. Although every individual has a right to a second chance at redeeming themselves of their criminal offenses, registered sex offenders and their offenses should be allowed to be known to the public, especially those with children so that they may be better prepared in protecting them. Whether the offense is low-risk or high-risk, knowing what the offense entails can make a huge difference in the way a parent chooses the environment for their family as well as who they deem safe to associate with.