Why The Sex Offender Registry Should Be Abolished

Why the sex offender registry should be abolished

I'm NOT a sex offender, just a citizen that sees a problem with a certain law, the sex offender registry is pointless how does it help anyone? If they are going to reoffend they are going to reoffend no list is going to stop that.

How does the sex offender registry protect society and children?

In a nutshell, it doesn't.

The sex offender registry protects no one, and takes rights away from tax paying citizens who have paid their debt to society as defined by the courts. People can say what they want about the registry not being punitive, but in reality it is punitive. A person on the registry cannot work, cannot live in most areas, cannot use the internet, cannot travel without notifying the police in person and in writing, cannot have an email address unless they register it with the police in person and in writing, have to register anywhere they are located for more than 3 days consecutively, or visits more than 6 times in a 6 month period, is not allowed into any public parks or pools, cannot attend schools, cannot obtain a visa for travel, must register phone numbers in person and writing to the police, and must register any changes of any of the above in person and in writing, and the list goes on, along with ignorant and angry citizens taking vigilante violence against these ex-offenders who have paid for their crimes. What happens if the registered EX-sex offenders fail to abide by any of the above? 15 years to life in prison.

Okay, okay, okay.... What are the benefits of having the registry? None. When a person is charged with a sex offense the police take DNA samples, photographs and fingerprints and put them in a nice little file. Now, it is proven that less than 6% of the registered EX-offenders will commit a new sex crime; in fact, people who commit a sex offense have the second lowest recidivism rate. The lowest being murder. This is the same now with the registry as it was 25 years ago before the registry. More than 80% of all sex offenses are committed by people who are not on the registry. Not one sex offense was averted by the registry.


I heard one reporter make a statement that a sex offender is like an alcoholic... once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic. Once a sex offender, always a sex offender. That is the most absurd statement I have ever heard. Unless your definition of an alcoholic includes a person who takes one drink and never touches alcohol again.


Two examples of how a person who had previously committed a sex offense gets arrested for a new sex crime. First we will take an ex-offender from 25 years ago, before the registry. He knows that the police has that little file with all his goodies in it, so to avoid being an automatic suspect, he drives an hour away, roughly 60 miles from where he lives, and then commits the crime. The victim then calls the police. The police will perform the obvious tests, first by asking if the victim knew the suspect or if the victim got a good look at the suspect or saw any identifying marks. If yes, the police look through their little files and show them to the victim. When the victim sees the suspect, the police go and arrest the suspect. If the victim didn't see anything, they continue to a rape kit and get DNA samples. If a DNA sample is found, the police look back into their little files until they find a match, and then go and arrest the suspect. If no DNA sample is found, the suspect gets away with it.


Now the same scenario from today with the ex-offender who is on the registry. He knows that the police have that little file with all his goodies in it, and he knows he is on the registry, so to avoid being an automatic suspect; he drives an hour away, roughly 60 miles from where he lives, and then commits the crime. The victim then calls the police. The police will perform the obvious tests, first by asking if the victim knew the suspect or if the victim got a good look at the suspect or saw any identifying marks. If yes, the police look through their little files and show them to the victim. When the victim sees the suspect, the police go and arrest the suspect. If the victim didn't see anything, they continue to a rape kit and get DNA samples. If a DNA sample is found, the police look back into their little files until they find a match, and then go and arrest the suspect. If no DNA sample is found, the suspect gets away with it.


Did the registry save this victim from having the crime committed against them? No. Did the registry help this victim identify the suspect? No, the little file did.


The registry doesn't work. Never has, and never will. If all these ex-offenders are so dangerous, why didn't the judge or court sentence the ex-offender to more time? They give excuses like they don't have room, or cost too much money to keep them locked up. But the truth of it is, it is much, much cheaper to keep the less than 6% of the ex-offenders who are actually dangerous locked up, than it is to put all 100% on a registry that is so blatantly unconstitutional and ineffective.

Here are some facts. ALL people who commint a sex offense have their DNA on file. If a person decides to re-offend, the registry is not going to change that. The registry protects no one. An example would be that the very few people on the sex offender registry that did re-offend was not stopped from offending. They were not caught because they were recognized on the public shaming system. They were caught because of DNA or mugshots of offenders on file.

Regardless of it's intent, the registry offers real punishment for the sole purpose that someone may commit a crime, and that IS unconstitutional... No matter how you try to justify it. Government is praying on the fear and hate of the people to fuel their goals. Something that happened not all that long ago in Germany to thier Jewish citizens. And I'm not saying being Jewish is a crime, just showing how another government used these tactics.

Another straight out lie is that the registry is to help protect our children... And like I stated above, the registry protects no one. If the registry truly is civil and not punitive, then it can be applied retroactivily to anyone. And if the goal is to protect our citizens and children, then there should be a national DWI/DUI registry.

Sex offenses vs alcohol traffic Deaths in 2009

Forcible rapes for 2009 = 88,097(Charged not convicted)

DEATHs from alcohol related traffic offenses = 10,839 (This is excluding those maimed and injured) - 181 of those DEATHS were children 0 to 14 years of age, and of those 181, about 92 of those children were in the car of the drunk driver. Another 1.4 million drivers were arrested for drunk driving, which each could have resulted in injury and Death. And another 147 million people admitted to drinking and driving.

recidivism for related crime: Sex offenses roughly 5%(The majority of this 5% had multiple charges and were strangers to the victim
DUI/DWI nearly 60%
Then you would hear the people who drink say things like:
You only drove while under the influence one time? You don't consider yourself an alcoholic?

Sounds the same as 95% of the 'Sex Offenders' on the registry. If they have paid their debt to society, then society should stop punishing them more and more. They are no longer Sex offenders. They are citizens of the United States, who should have their rights protected. But unfortunately society as a whole is hateful and ignorant. Only when you talk to these people who have committed the sex offense can you get the feel of who they are. Not to judge by a label. Not to neglect them work. Not to make them and their families endure hell on earth. The courts know who the dangerous people are, but they choose to ignore that. If a Judge gives a person probabtion for a sex offense, how dangerous does that judge believe that person to be? If the judge really thought that person was a threat to society, he would have sentenced him or her to prison, in some cases life without parole.

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Most Helpful Guy

  • Your biggest problem is you think people are rational. They are not.
    People are inherently ruled by their emotions.
    Sex offense = bad.
    The fact that the did jail time doesn't matter.
    The fact that there is no other crime for which there is a registry doesn't matter.
    The fact that the registry is illegal and violates civil rights doesn't matter.
    The fact that no matter what you do, you can never be taken off the registry doesn't matter.
    The fact that our system, as good as it is, is imperfect, and innocent people do get convicted and placed on the registry doesn't matter.
    The fact that a 17 year old sleeping with his 15 year old girlfriend will be placed on the registry, for life, for being a pedophile, despite both being teens, his "crime" being consensual sex, and her parents refusing to press charges so the state does instead, doesn't matter.

    All that matters is that a convicted sex criminal is seen as less than human, and the darker impulses in all of us seek out those who are less than human, because any hate, or even real violence, we inflict on them we can justify to ourselves, and find others who celebrate our actions, because the target "deserved it."

    It is torch and pitchfork mob mentality. It is the action of people who want vengeance, not justice. It is people who think that is 51% of the populace cries out for blood, they should get the blood they want, and laws and our system of justice be damned.

    It is completely reasonable to be so emotionally reactive to something as heinous as a sex crime, but the fact is that most people are happy to think less, and simply allow emotion and impulse take control. It doesn't matter what you can show them with real evidence, verifiable proof, logic, reasoning, fact, history, documentation, or anything else. What they believe has become reality, and what reality actually is has become wrong. And you, for daring to open your eyes, look past the red haze in your vision that stems from your own emotional distaste for such crimes, and actually look at real data?
    They see you as worse then the people they, misunderstanding you completely, BELIEVE you are defending.
    Proof they see you as worse? I would wager my soul at least one person read your MyTake and thought "I hope he gets raped."
    That puts you below the subhuman rapist.

    People are mindless herd animals. Their responses here prove it.

Most Helpful Girl

  • Well I can immediately tell you haven't been a victim of a sex offense. I haven't either, but I'm a little less ignorant than you.

    Let's say I was a mom and had 3 young daughters. We were moving to a new town, new neighborhood, etc. I would like to look up the area first and make sure I don't move next to someone who has raped, molested, etc. young girls. Hey that's where the "horrible" registry comes in!

    Also, if someone is on the sex offender registry list then 99% of the time they did something to be put on the list (I saved the 1% for falsely accused people). They deserve to be on that list. Maybe people change, and they won't reoffend, but they once committed a crime, and they deserve to be on that list so others know.

    • My point is that the list doesn't prevent reoffenses.

    • Your point was that the registry should be abolished.

    • That too.

    • Show All

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What Girls & Guys Said

3 6
  • People who do wrongdoings deserve to be punished.

    • that sounds dirty in my mind xD

  • I recall hearing on radio lab a study that showed it's ineffective. That was one study.

  • congratulations. you have successfully written the dumbest take ever on this site... that is quite an accomplishment. here's your award
    dambreaker.files.wordpress.com/.../...ss_award.jpg

    • Who cares.

    • apparently you considering you made an entire take about it

  • I agree, to an extent.

    I mean, you an be registered as a sex offender for streaking Central Park at 3am, or fucking a girl one year younger than you at 16. This doesn't really seem fair, as it's grouping what are basically just dumb minor offences with the full-blown kiddie fuckers and rapists.

    I do think there has to be some kind of eternal suffering for aforementioned kiddie fuckers and rapists, though. I mean c'mon. They inflicted a lifetime of suffering on someone, seems only fair.

    What that should be, I have no idea. But I once had to deal with the aftermath of a rapist and it wasn't nice. I'd like to think his life would be pretty much shit until he dies.

    • Well the courts have dealt with them and have served their time in jail. But I believe the registry condemns them to death, can't work and are homeless so I guess they starve out on the street and die.

  • NO. As a legal professional it is there a a fail safe. If you are a sex offender, you should rot

    • What do you do in the legal profession? I would rather they rot in prison, not on the streets, if they are to rot at all.

    • A "Fail Safe" how so?

    • Fail Safe: you move into an area, you know where these people live and will be working

    • Show All
  • I know it's not the popular opinion, but you are right on the money. When I was 11 (31 years ago), I played "Doctor" with a neighbors daughter who was 6. It was stupid. It was wrong. I rightfully got in trouble, and spent 3 months in Juvenile Hall. Fortunately for me, my lawyer, as part of my plea bargain, kept me off the Sex Offenders list. Back then you could do that, but now it's not legally allowed. I never had any desire to re-offend. The worst crime I ever committed afterwords was "careless driving".

    My point is, I would have been a burden on society had I been on the registry. I could never have gotten a job as an engineer, so I would probably be living on welfare. I could never volunteer my time (like I do) to help others, as most time they involve church's, schools or other places where kids meet.

    M\my life would have turned our much worst had I been on the list. Mind you, that is secondary, as I admit I deserved my punishment. However, I probably would never had gotten married and had kids of my own. I wouldn't be allow to do most of the things I do with my kids. My life would have sucked, even though I paid my debt when I was 11.

    I think, like a lot of things, the Sex Offender list was created to give people a feeling of control, when it really doesn't do anything but hurt people.

  • I dont know feminist statistics say that one in three guys are rapists so three guus have commented here so one of us is a rapist.

    • And the sky is pink lol

    • Exactly why should traditional gender roles be enforced upon the sky.

  • I'm not sure comparing DUIs to sex offenses is the best way to make your case