Should the Sex Offender Registry Be Abolished? A Live Debate.

Should the sex offender registry be abolished? Watch a live debate at the Soho Forum between Emily Horowitz, a sociologist at St. Francis College, and Marci Hamilton from the University of Pennsylvania and CHILD USA. Video

Emily Horowitz was the Featured Speaker / Keynote Presenter at the 2017 ACSOL Conference and will return as a speaker / presenter to the 2018 ACSOL Conference.

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NY: “All Sex Offender Registries Should Be Abolished”: Reason/Soho Forum Debate

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This would have been a great debate if the person who was in favor of registration stayed on topic and answered the questions as of her. She successfully tried to control the subject and not answer the question.

Obviously Marci Hamilton was not directly debating each topic that was on the floor. She was repeating the lies and she was fear mongering. She will run for political office.

I was inspired by Emily on all fronts. Courageous leaders like Emily and Janice have heroically stood their ground against emotionally driven lies…how inspiring! As Church Hill once said, “don’t give me the coward who fights knowing he’ll win but give me the courageous that dares to fight when he’s sure to loose!!!” Emily won in the end but she may have walked into the debate thinking it could easily have gone the other way.

Marci Hamilton is highlighting another meth. Her reasoning for justifying the registry for sex offence crimes over other crimes is that is “that kids are targeted by the perpetrator”, which, is few cases yes, however, is not the norm as most are situational.

Violence against women is a very bad thing but every time she said “ they all have a 150 vicitims” I wanted to punch her in the mouth. Fear mongering at it’s finest.

Here is the follow up to this debate if you are interested in some light reading:

REASON AND THE SOHO FORUM WANT TO KNOW, DO WE ABOLISH THE REGISTRY?
https://www.sexlawandpolicy.org/slap-blog/abolish-the-registry

It addresses much of what has been commented on here. Very interesting reading.

Completely missing from the call to “think of the children” was any consideration of the registry’s effect on the children of registrants.

Hey Marci Hamilton! 17 children were killed two days ago by a non-registed sex offender never accused of sex crimes. So, how does your theory work? Have 17 children been killed this year by sex offenders or sex crimes being committed?

Marci Hamilton, is this how your platform is ‘protecting’ children?’ Marci Hamilton, if you really, really care about children you are not doing a good job. 17 were just killed.

The registry is unjust! Thousands of non violent, no contact, first offenders are on this horrendous list, adding years to their time already served inside, away from their families. Children are unjustly hurt and victimized by the loss of a beloved parent in their activities!!!!!!!! America is still in the dark ages when it comes to the criminal “justice” system! We have mass incarceration, laws giving prosecutors too much power, and judges too little or even none! People with mental illnesses suffering behind bars at the hands of a cruel nd inhumane system! Where and when does it end?? Despicable! And I have young grandchildren!

“Thousands of non violent, no contact, first offenders are on this horrendous list, adding years to their time already served inside, away from their families.”

The registry is unjust for every person who is on it, not just for the ones you mentioned. It hurts all of them and their children and families, not just the children and families of the ones you singled out.

What all registrants have in common is that they were all sentenced to a punishment for their crimes, and most are required to register for years or for life, even after they’ve served their sentence.

The registry does not serve public safety. It only serves to shame, ostracize, and even outright banish registrants, subjecting them to onerous reporting requirements and an ever-growing number of restrictions, an incomprehensibly vast array of complex laws that vary from one state to the next, and from one municipality to the next. It keeps many registrants from finding housing and work, or relegates them to work that is far below their abilities. And it puts the registrant and his/her family at risk of vigilantism.