The National Sex Offender Registry Is Unjust

The United States is rooted within an elaborate network of laws, rules, and regulations.

Some of these laws, rules, and regulations are just, effective, and valuable. But, many of them are the opposite; unjust, ineffective, and harmful.

Our goal, with this essay, is to go over one of the most notable laws that must be overhauled.

The Wetterling Act And Megan’s Law

On January 25th, of 1994, the Wetterling Act was signed into law.

You can find, within the Wetterling Act, rules and regulations centered on the:

• Creation of a registry for sex offenders, all across the entirety of the United States.
• Forced registration of sex offenders, all across the United States.
• The new – at the time – class of offenders, known as “Sexually Violent Predators.”
• Requirement that all sex offenders must verify their address every ninety-days.
• Need for “Sexually Violent Predators” to register as life-long sexual offenders.
  

Just two years later, Megan’s Law was signed.

The rules and regulations within Megan’s Law served to strengthen the Wetterling Act and its requirement for sex offender registration.

Many people believed, at the time, that the Wetterling Act and Megan’s Law were good, effective, and necessary laws that protected children, and other vulnerable populations, from sexual protectors.

To this day, many people still believe this. But, more and more people are becoming aware of what these laws, and the National Sex Offender Registry as a whole, really are: an ineffective, and fundamentally unjust, system.

The National Sex Offender Registry

Just as the name suggests, the National Sex Offender Registry is a registry of every convicted sex offender who lives in the United States.

If someone has committed a sexual offense, and they are convicted of that sexual offense, then they can be found on the National Sex Offender Registry, which is public.

Anyone who wishes to determine whether or not an individual is a sex offender – or, for that matter, someone who wishes to find sex offenders within a specified area – can do so with ease.

The point outlined above can apply to an employer, who wishes to see if their employee is a sex offender. But, it can also apply to someone who wants to find, and hurt, those who are considered sexual offenders.

If someone is on the National Sex Offender Registry, they lack the privacy that most other American citizens rightfully take advantage of every single day.

The Importance Of Overhauling The National Sex Offender Registry

The National Sex Offender Registry is a registry of every convicted sex offender in the United States.

Or, more specifically, it is a registry of every United States citizen/resident who is, legally, considered a sex offender, as per the offense they were convicted of.

The latter fact is very important, as there are many crimes that, while far from being sexual offenses, are considered, and charged as, sexual offenses.

A rather classic example of the above is a boyfriend and girlfriend – an eighteen year old, and a sixteen year old girl, within this example – engaging in intercourse.

The above is consensual. But, in many states, it is technically illegal; the eighteen year old is an adult and, while they are in a consensual relationship, his girlfriend is not.

If the eighteen year old boy in this scenario were to be charged, he would be charged with a sexual offense. And, as a result of this, he would be forced to register as a sex offender, and considered as such throughout the United States.

Some of the problems, challenges, and difficulties that the eighteen year old, in our example, may be forced to deal with, are as follows:

• Being forced to register their address every ninety-days.
• Being unable to find work with any measure of ease, due to their criminal record.
• Being forced to deal with the stigma, loneliness, and pain that arises from being considered a sex offender.
• Being unable to find housing with any measure of ease.
• Being unable to work with, or near, children, in any capacity.
• Being forced to give up much of their legal right to privacy, as a result of their “sex offender” status.
• Being unable to own firearms or related weapons and items.
• Being forced to spend time in a jail or prison, where they may be abused.
• Being unable to get off of the National Sex Offender Registry for a period of time.
• Being forced to accept day-to-day treatment that fundamentally denies their humanity.

The list outlined above is far from exhaustive. And, depending on the state that the eighteen year old lives in, it may be inaccurate; some states, for example, only restrict firearm usage when the offense is considered violent.

No matter what, though, one thing is certain: a person convicted of a sex offense, regardless of how well that term applies to their “crime,” is denied the rights and privileges everyone else is given.

The above is true, regardless of:

• The exact sex offense they were convicted of.
• The rehabilitation efforts that they have undertaken.
• The amends that they have made.

And, for these very reasons, among so many others, the National Sex Offender Registry must be overhauled.