Registration

By Steve Gordon

Here is the latest draconian legislation in Pennsylvania that on the surface people say protects society, but in reality it is basically worthless and lip service to a headline driven paranoid population. Governor Tom Corbett signed into law significant changes to the sexual offender registration law. Act 111 of 2011 and Act 91 of 2012 incorporate federally mandated changes that go into effect on December 20, 2012.

Basically registration is quarterly now instead of every six months. I am not sure how this changed, but I thought I was on a 10 year registration but apparently I have Lifetime registration. I am not sure how this will change should my petition for a Pardon be signed in a couple years. However given the nature of things I am not positive on that happening even as I have successfully transitioned and I am by the accounts of my neighbors, a good neighbor.

Anyway, the letter I got from the PA State Police reads:

You will be required to verify your current, existing information and to provide the following additional items or information during the registration process:

• Palm prints
• DNA Sample
• Passport Number, Immigration ID and Immigration Status
• Internet Identifiers (such as email address(es)).
• Vehicles owned or operated, including locations parked or stored.
• Boats and aircraft owned or operated, including locations parked and stored.
• Professional License information (such as real estate license, Barber's license, etc.).

This flies in the face of reality that most all studies done, and the ACLU can verify this, have shown that registration does not protect or prevent sexual offenses. Megan's Law was originally intended to protect children from sexual abuse and nearly all studies on this account show that the majority of these offenses are committed by family members or persons the children know, not the guy who is out of prison and lives down the street or on the next block.

Further, many of those under Megan's Law registration are 1. first time offenders; and 2. did not have offenses regarding minor children.

Justice Department statistics I have seen in the past have shown clearly, and by a wide margin, that the majority of sexual offenders are first time offenders. This makes the whole concept of Megan's Law a law on paper that has no teeth except for government to control and potential harassment of former sexual offenders not deemed to be Sexually Violent Predators.

If a person is found to be a SVP then that person needs to be monitored. To exercise the amount of control and hold information on those not deemed to be a danger in this regard is infringement upon personal liberties. If I had the financial resources and a good lawyer willing to take up the fight I would be doing this. Unfortunately I do not. It is an unpopular subject that many lawyers will not tackle because of public perception even if they feel it is unjust.

To take it a little further, there are sex offenders with offenses that were not involving children such as domestic offenses or consentual relationships for example and these offenders pose no danger or threat to the general public or children.

It is a sticky subject because sexual offenses are not acceptable, but the point is that not all sexual offenders need to be watched and monitored as closely as these new legislation's allow. People are against the Patriot Act as too much Big Brother and there are fine lines within it. There should be fine lines in the sex offender registration laws as well.