Sex Offender Registration Essay

In addressing the issue of registries there are two issues that stand out on the “positive/pro” side. First the most obvious, I can know where all the sex offender are around me, which we give me the ability to tell my children where and whom to stay away from. Second, the government/officials get to look good while giving the community a sense that they are somehow safer. I believe these two factors are hollow and in actuality accomplish little if anything at all. One of things that I find most disturbing regarding sex offender registration is that all sex offenders are basically treated the same, regardless of their circumstances, crimes, and levels of dangerousness. Furthermore it doesn’t serve as a deterrent and could not only put the registrant in danger but their family members as well. The registry goes into no specifics which in turn forces the public to view all registrants as dangerous, so everyone

Unfortunately, the registry does not give the public this information and that is profoundly reckless, especially when public’s bias, stigma and revulsion is so ubiquitous with regard to sex crimes against children. The net result for the sex offender is that living and working situations become difficult if not impossible which can result in hopelessness and homelessness, the very two things that fuel recidivism. Correspondingly, I do think one could easily make a valid argument that while your eyes are peeled on the registry, old trustworthy Uncle Bob is molesting your kids- meaning, most offenders, 60% by most modest estimates, are known to the victims. Another key point as stated in our text, “Information is scarce with regard to paraphilic disorders, this is why the focus remains on Relapse Prevention. (Kearney pg.347) I would assert that the registry undermines these very