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 reservesContinue reading “On America’s Civil Death Penalty: The Sexual Offense Registry”
Tag Archives: national
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 byContinue reading “Expert: Crime registries turn people into pariahs with "very little to lose"”
Federal Court dismisses latest challenge to International Megan’s Law
The Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws reports on another disappointing court ruling. A federal judge in California has upheld the latest challenge to the constitutionality of International Megan’s Law. A federal district court dismissed the recent IML challenge yesterday when it granted the government’s Motion to Dismiss a legal challenge to the International Megan’sContinue reading “Federal Court dismisses latest challenge to International Megan’s Law”