Sex Offender Registration

Sex offenders can be a serious threat to American society. Most sex offenders however are non-violent. The American public has this fear of the predator living next door. Sex offender registration has only made public fear worse. Registration laws have been in effect for about two decades. High profile cases fuel legislation resulting in harsh punishments. Ideas about sex offenders are based off of stranger on stranger sex offenses. These type of offenses have a high probability of being violent. Unfortunately the non-violent sex offenders are defined by their violent counterparts.

The problem is the public is not properly educated on sex offenses. Registered sexual predators can be examined by their neighbors. People look at the registry and if a name in their area comes up a red flag is thrown. The public fails to look at the offenders profile to better educate themselves on their offenses.

Sex offender registration is a helpful tool that law enforcement can use. I do not believe an offender's profile should be made public. Once a person is given the sex offender tag their life is as good as over. Offenders are less likely to be productive citizens of society. Registered sex offenders find it hard to find jobs, because what business owner wants to hire a sexual predator. We have to understand that these individuals made a mistake and will have to live with that.

In history there are only a few cases that define sex offender registration. Legislation was enacted based on horrific events which occurred in these few cases. The Jacob Wetterling Act, Adam Walsh Act, and Megan's Law play a huge part in sex offender registration and notification. Jacob Wetterling and Adam Walsh were both male children taken by a stranger. The public's emotion backed legislative efforts to put through a tough law on sexual predators. There is a disconnect between the legislature and judicial system. Legislators are elected by the public so anything they can do to please will be taken advantage of. Horrific kidnapping cases rarely happen, but most of our legislation is based off them. If politicians do not take a harsh proactive position on sex offenders than the public may perceive them as weak. America's legislature is not looking for ways to help these individuals, but punishing them to help their political needs.

The Adam Walsh case was very similar to the Wetterling case. President George W. Bush passed the Adam Walsh Act which enacted some very harsh guidelines in regards to sexual predators.  Some people believe that this act is a harmful expansion of government. (Wright, pg. 6) Juveniles over the age of 14 are to be adjudicated and register as a sex offender. There are other requirements, but to me it seems like a manhunt. America forces sexual predators to become outcast when we could find ways to rehab these individuals. In the mean time sexual predators have to live with their mistakes and abide by registration guidelines. Sex offender registration can be a tool used by law enforcement, but I do not believe that the American public is stable enough to understand sex offenders.

Wright, Richard. Introduction: The Failure of Sex Offender Policies. New York: Springer Publishing Company, 2009. Print.