Registering Sex Offenders - What's the Point?

[Greenday]

As my criminal justice teacher continues to berate society for being a bunch of barbarians, my views of the criminal justice system has slowly been changing, as a lot of the stuff seems rather simple and makes sense when you actually think about it.

Today's topic: Sex Offenders

The thing that got to me today was what is the point of them having to register, along with all the ridiculous restrictions they have? When 90% of sexual assaults come from either a family member/relative or an acquaintance of some sort, what good is having all sex offenders register? These aren't the people that you'd avoid.

One point my teacher made that I wonder about, and which I'm sure is true, is that with all these insane list of penalties that are given post-prison, these people who are committing crimes are probably holding it over the victim's head, telling them how by reporting it, the person doing the assault will have no rights the rest of their life, etc. etc., guilting the victim into not reporting it, thereby increasing the problem.

[kiwi]

These aren't the people that you'd avoid.

Do you have a sex offender in your family? I do and the entire family avoids him like the plague, he is a dangerous and evil man.

I sure as hell would want any families with young children know who and what he is, a predator. ALL of his victims have been children from outside our family. He hooks up with a woman with low self esteem, and his abuse starts very slowly. Then takes after her children, its happened time and time again. The justice system in NZ is a joke.

He has been convicted of abusing at least six children and 3 woman.
If I had my way he would be dead, or at the very least would have to have CONVICTED SEX OFFENDER tattooed on his forehead.

People who abuse children give up all of their rights to a happy or peaceful life in my opinion. Believe me Greenday people like that don't think about the consequences of the law to hold over their victims head, if they didn't have laws like that they would hold death, torture, shame, guilt, their family hating them, the fact they deserve it over their victims.

Any and every measure should be used to protect innocents from predators. When the dickwad in my family moves around no one has to know who he is or what he has done and so the cycle starts all over again. When he becomes known, he moves and starts hunting agian.
He has made many people's lives a living hell. Perhaps if we could plaster the neighbourhood with fliers or the like to protect children he wouldn't be able to do what he does so easily.

[Greenday]

But how is registering them as sex offenders going to help? Based on what you wrote, he isn't just sexually assaulting people at random. It's only people close to him. The sexual offender registry only helps prevent the unknown sexual assaulters.

Ok, so people can now find out that he is a sex offender. Even now, how many people that live in the US regularly check their friends or new interests on the sex offender list? I know I don't. I'd bet most people don't. And in a lot of states, no matter what sexual offense you commit, you appear to be the exact same as the rest. So two young teenagers that have sex are considered no different from some adult raping a young child, but you'll never know, because the only thing listed about them is that they are a sex offender.

Which brings up another point. Every single sex offender has to be watched by a parole officer. The majority of sex offenders are non-violent sex offenders. Why are we wasting so much money and man-power watching the non-violent sex offenders as we are the violent sex offenders? If you really think about it, we are spending even more money on watching the non-violent offenders over the violent offenders.

[kiwi]

It helps because it means they cant move close to schools, it helps because it means people can be made aware that a sexual predator has moved into their neighbourhood and to be on alert. If and when he moves, the schools in the new area are supposed to be notified, and the new local police are as well.

In some areas people are even allowed to post pictures of the offenders so people know who is dangerous. Other areas they have to have a sign posted on the house. If the woman he preys on were informed of his past behaviour they would have a choice to make, believe it and protect their children or not. Sure some would still most likely not believe it but some would and stay the hell away but they should be able to make an informed choice.

As most sexual predators can't be "cured" and will continue to reoffend its one of the only protections the public has against them. If people don't choose to check the registery then that is their problem. That doesn't mean that some people DO check and protect their children accordingly.

If you or your loved ones haven't gone through the pain and humiliation of being prey to a sexual predator then you have no way of comprehending how destructive it is to the rest of your life not just for the victim but for anyone involved.
I for one would be happy to pay for a parole officer to watch each and every person convicted of child sex crimes. Its not a waste of money at all in fact its one of the best uses of money of tax.

[crazylegs]

When applying for a job in the UK that has access to children, or to vulnerable adults your name/aliases are passed through the register to ensure you're not on it (that's the highly simplified version of telling of how it works).

Thing is, you're correct in saying that the majority of sexual offences are committed by people that the person knows, so by preventing them from getting a job where they can strike up a 'normal' relationship first you are protecting those who are vulnerable.

In addition, as Kiwi states, by ensuring that their residential addresses are in a suitable location you can also ensure that their homes are not too close to a school.

The point of registering isn't so much as to penalise but to ensure the authorities can find you and assist in any intervention programmes that are available. In <This Constabulary Area> we have a dedicated team of police officers who's sole job it is, is to talk to those who are deemed at risk of reoffending and making sure that all that is possible is done to ensure they do not commit further offences. Without the offender registering their address that would be virtually impossible to achieve.

[Dreamstalker]

Here it seems that if a guy pees in the bushes and a kid sees...bam, the poor guy is put on the sex offender registry (I seem to recall reading about a case or two of just that happening). What good does that do?

The registry as a consequence of non-violent, not-likely-to-repeat offenses is what bothers me.

[Greenday]

crazylegs, I'm just curious, are all sex offenders considered risks for reoffending by you? Because all of them here are on probation the minute they get out of jail.

[daleduke17]

Here it seems that if a guy pees in the bushes and a kid sees...bam, the poor guy is put on the sex offender registry (I seem to recall reading about a case or two of just that happening). What good does that do?

The registry as a consequence of non-violent, not-likely-to-repeat offenses is what bothers me.

Or boyfriend has consensual sex with his 17 y/o girlfriend.....BAM....sex offender.

[crazylegs]

crazylegs, I'm just curious, are all sex offenders considered risks for reoffending by you? Because all of them here are on probation the minute they get out of jail.

Sex offenders are graded according to their risk under ViSOR, be they those who have commited a a Violent/Sexual offence which attracted a jail sentence of 12 months or longer, and those who are thought to be sufficient risk to the public, or those who have commited an offence under The Sexual Offences Act 2003 (such as non-consensual voyeurism, assault by penetration, causing a child to watch a sexual act, and penetration of any part of a corpse).

The offence wording of causing a child to watch a sexual act is quite specific (although I don't have it to hand) it wouldn't be sufficient to just urinate in front of a child to then have to register in the UK.

[AdminAssistant]

You know, I'm sorry, but if you sexually assault a child, you go to jail forever. Without your testicles. There's no hope for someone like that. You brutally rape someone...hell, anybody, child or adult, you've lost your right to life. Or at least your testicles. Sorry. If somebody tried to attack me, I WOULD try to kill them, yes I would.

Now, I don't think a guy who has consensual sex with a girlfriend within a reasonable age limit should be labeled as a sex offender. Ditto someone who gets caught with a hooker. There has to be degrees of offense. They had this guy on the Rachael Ray show who got pissed at his 17 year old girlfriend and sent naked pictures that she had sent him on to everyone in her e-mail list. He's now a registered sex offender. What? Stupid? Yes. On the same level with pedophilia? No.

[Sylvia727]

I don't particularly care about predatory sex offenders being registered. I disagree, but not strongly enough to defend my position. Yes, it's wrong to keep to punishing criminals after their time has been served, and yes, no sex offender can hope to get a moral life together if he's being harassed for his past crimes, but I understand the pain of the victims and the urge to somehow protect future victims.

The problem I have with the sex offender list is the non-violent offenders, who shouldn't even be on the list in the first place. The guy who peed where a child could see. The guy who had sex in a park near an elementary school -- at midnight. The guy who dated a woman two years younger and under the arbitrary age limit. And yes, most of them are men, because our sexist society has trouble believing that a woman can be a predator. These people can have the rest of their lives trashed, not for an honest mistake, but for no mistake at all. It's wrong to punish people for not having their sex the way the moral guardians think they should be having their sex. And all the sex offender's registry does is encourage Jane Q. Citizen to harass the poor guy and destroy any chance of getting a new life together.

[Dreamstalker]

The problem I have with the sex offender list is the non-violent offenders, who shouldn't even be on the list in the first place. These people can have the rest of their lives trashed, not for an honest mistake, but for no mistake at all. It's wrong to punish people for not having their sex the way the moral guardians think they should be having their sex.

Precisely. Those people should be given every chance they can to get a normal life back, not harassed and viewed as a deviant at best, ZOMGpedophile at worst. There needs to be a better system in place for figuring out who truly deserves to be on the list vs. the mistakes; in terms of resources wasted, improper placement on the registry is just as bad as some marijuana busts--save the time and money for the real offenders who actually deserve hard time.

True child molesters don't last too long in prison, or so I've heard.

[IDrinkaRum]

And don't forget, as Sylvia727 has said, most of the people on the sex offender registry are males. What about all these stories we keep hearing about that involve FEMALE teachers with their 13, 14, etc. year old male (and in one case female) students? What about them?

Since I do have a child who right now still doesn't understand that she can't be friendly with everyone she meets, I like the fact I can check on who is being kept under watch on the offender list. Not that I've used the information to harrass anyone or anything.

*shrug* Just not sure if it's something we need or don't need.

[Boozy]

Thing is, you're correct in saying that the majority of sexual offences are committed by people that the person knows, so by preventing them from getting a job where they can strike up a 'normal' relationship first you are protecting those who are vulnerable.

This here sums up the most compelling reason for sex registries. Anyone questioning their usefulness needs to read this again.

With that said, there are no doubt some major issues in how some crimes are classified. Peeing in public is almost certainly not a "sex" crime. And some sex offenders shouldn't be included on the registries. But let's not throw the baby out with the bath water. The solution is to fix the registries, not eliminate them.

[Pedersen]

Thank you Boozy! The world has taken a step back from the apocalypse, since we disagree again finally

This here sums up the most compelling reason for sex registries. Anyone questioning their usefulness needs to read this again.

They are useful, make no mistake. So, we have one point of agreement, I suppose. But...

With that said, there are no doubt some major issues in how some crimes are classified. Peeing in public is almost certainly not a "sex" crime. And some sex offenders shouldn't be included on the registries. But let's not throw the baby out with the bath water. The solution is to fix the registries, not eliminate them.

I disagree with the idea of a sex offenders registry. Sex offenders are criminals like any other. We don't have a "Burglar Registry". We don't have a "Murderer Registry". We don't have a "Speeder Registry". We don't have a "Driving Without Insurance Registry". We don't have registries for the other types of crimes. We just have registries for this one type.

The registry itself is a form of punishment. Thing is, we don't punish other crimes in similar fashions. Quite frankly, we should either expand the registry to be "If you are guilty of any crime regardless of severity then you appear on this criminals registry" or abolish them.

As for the punishment? Either the criminal has paid the price for their crimes, or they haven't. If they haven't, keep them locked up. If they have, they should be free to go.

Recidivism: People who are likely to commit the same or similar crimes again (regardless of crime type) need extra monitoring at the hands of the proper authorities, not at the hands of neighborhood vigilantes.

The registries themselves are an open invitation to target someone and make their life hell after they have paid the price for the crimes they have committed. They need to be shut down.