Those who fight for a more equitable way to keep track of sexual predators won a big victory in Michigan last week. That is a state with some 44,000 names on its sexual offenders registry.
U.S. District Court Judge Robert Cleland put his foot down and gave the Michigan legislature 60 days to rewrite its current “unconstitutional” registry statute. Last spring, Cleland set a 90-day deadline for lawmakers to rework the law, but he was ignored. This time, he’s serious.
Everyone agrees we need to keep track of career sex criminals after they are released from prison. Once they’ve been convicted of violent sex crimes, it’s possible they’ll reoffend. A public safety monitoring system makes sense.
But understand that these state registries — there is one in every state — are bloated beyond belief with many names that shouldn’t be there. Registries were mandated by federal law in the mid-’90s to keep watch over ex-convict pedophiles who sexually targeted children. Somewhere along the line, we lost our way.
Included in the registry over the years have been: a 10-year-old female caught “play-acting sex” and then branded with “criminal sexual conduct” charges; a 19-year-old boy caught with his 15-year-old girlfriend; drunks discovered urinating or streaking in public; average citizens unjustly accused of sex crimes during ugly divorces; and men duped into believing that an intimate partner was not a minor when she was. Many of these people, often caught up in a moment of normal human passion, have been forced to register as sex criminals — for the rest of their lives.
Do we really want to lump these kinds of “criminals” in with hardcore sexual predators?
Everyone agrees we need to keep track of career sex criminals after they are released from prison. Once they’ve been convicted of violent sex crimes, it’s possible they’ll reoffend. A public safety monitoring system makes sense.
No not everyone agree..
I think we need to contact these journalists and tell them how much we appreciate their articles and efforts for the cause.
Interesting how many are women, but then women have always been more compassionate, understanding, and forgiving.
Tell them your personal story and re affirm to them we are not monsters.
We’re making headway. BUT, the registry needs to go entirely. It’s cruel and unusual punishment. Judge Matsch is the only one so far to tell the total unmitigated truth.
Really?
All the aftermath is reflection of the underlying intent of the electronic database machine regime in the first cause coming out of the Wetterling Act in OMNIBUS94!
THE INTENT WAS ALWAYS affirmative disability and restraint.
Besides that somebody figured out how to make a buck.
I’m not sure what to think of this.. could be good! Have to read the whole thing.. The first part isn’t so good lol
Any thoughts on this?
https://www.nationalaffairs.com/publications/detail/rethinking-sex-offender-registries
I pray this registers list will be destroyed by all 50 state’s. Too walk around in this so-called Land of the free and home of the brave. I don’t see it. I see! Land of the punishment and home of the weak minds. When something bad happens in our country. All the people jump in to OMG mode we need too pass a law so this doesn’t happen again. But then it does happen again and again. Even with a useless law that is too help make victims feel better. Our country fails 1000%. Guess why? Money to keep their bogus lawmakers jobs. If they can’t make victims than no money honey! So i feel i am being molested again by lawmakers who use my pain and abuse for THEIR pockets. All I get is so called justice and they make money off me and my abuser. What a deal!! Taxpayer’s