Guy Hamilton-Smith writes a guest blog post for the Comparative Penology website, explaining how U.S. sex offender registries promote social isolation and "civil death."Here is an excerpt:Oscar Wilde, writing from his cell in the Reading Gaol where he was imprisoned for homosexuality at the end of the nineteenth century, observed that "society reserves for itself … Continue reading On America’s Civil Death Penalty: The Sexual Offense Registry
Failure to Comply Arrests Reveal Flaws in Sex Offender Registries
In an article at the Appeal, Joshua Vaughn notes that in just one Pennsylvania county, in one year, more than three times as many people on the sex offender registry were charged with failing to comply with registry requirements as were charged with new sex crimes.Hundreds of people every year in Pennsylvania are arrested and … Continue reading Failure to Comply Arrests Reveal Flaws in Sex Offender Registries
Expert: Crime registries turn people into pariahs with "very little to lose"
Another good article explains why registries are a bad idea. In a column at The Appeal, Jessica Pishko writes that public crime registries -- including sex offender registries -- do not work and are even harmful, even though they are popular with the public and politicians.While public sex offender registries are now required by federal … Continue reading Expert: Crime registries turn people into pariahs with "very little to lose"
Judge upends Pennsylvania sex offender registration
Pennsylvania lawmakers made changes to the state's Sex Offender Registry law after the old law was found unconstitutional. It appears the new law isn't faring much better with the state's judges, as exemplified by a recent case.WEST CHESTER >> A Common Pleas Court judge has ruled that a West Goshen man convicted of forcing himself … Continue reading Judge upends Pennsylvania sex offender registration
York City Council considering residency restriction ordinance
The Omaha World-Herald article does not say how many of the 31 non-incarcerated registrants in York would be subject to the residency restriction ordinance.YORK, Neb. — The York City Council is considering the creation of residency restrictions for convicted/registered sex offenders and has already held the first of three readings of an ordinance that would … Continue reading York City Council considering residency restriction ordinance
Conference call to address scams targeting registered citizens
NARSOL will be hosting a conference call July 19 that may be of interest, to address the reports of telephone scams targeting registered citizens in Nebraska and across the nation.From NARSOL.org:By Sandy . . . The use of the registry by vigilantes to target registered citizens is one of the more harmful and deplorable consequences … Continue reading Conference call to address scams targeting registered citizens
Why sex offender registries keep growing even as sexual violence rates fall
The latest map of registered sex offenders in the United States put out in May by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, shows there are now more than 900,000 men, women, and children on sex offender registries.While the number of people on sex offender registries is increasing, Steven Yoder, writing for The Appeal, … Continue reading Why sex offender registries keep growing even as sexual violence rates fall
