Seanelle Higgins: New York Sex Offender Registry

Summary:
As of April 3rd of 2016, level one sex offenders from New York are being removed from the sex offenders registry. In 1996, a law was passed called Megan's Law in honor of a 7 year old little girl who was raped and murdered by her neighbor. This law forces all sex offenders in New York to register with their local law enforcement to have their daily life monitored in order to prevent them from commiting these sexual based crimes again. Removing these offenders from the registry allows them to violate rules they were once controlled by. These rules include things like keeping distance from schools, parks, their victims frequent spots, and reporting to the police every time they move homes or get a new car or job. This is especially dangerous because once these offenders are freed from the registry, they could immediately go back to doing the things they did before without being worried about the police knowing where they live or what car they drive. This is also especially dangerous because District Attorneys are known for offering bargains to dangerous criminals in exchange for a plea or confession. These bargains allow for a person who was facing a level three on the sex offenders registry (a person who committed a violent rape or sexual assault)  to be knocked down all the way to a level one (usually for a person caught with child pornography.)  These are not the kind of people the law-abiding citizens want to see on their streets doing whatever they please. Several people have started petitions and are contacting their local law enforcement in New York to pressure them to keep these men on the registry. ( a petition is linked if you would like to sign).



Analysis: I believe that the citizens of New York have a right to be both angry and afraid over what is happening. In a very crowded state, it's quite easy for someone to get caught in a loop of sex trafficking or to be the victim of a violent sexual assault. This is not a risk people need to be taking. People argue that these men have been on the registry for a while and are very unlikely to be a repeat offender, but their mindsets have not changed. These are the same rapists and abusers just monitored heavily to keep them from repeating their crime again. It is bad enough for a young child, their parents, or the adult victim to be aware of the fact that their sexual abuser is walking the streets. I am sure it is a lot harder to know that they are free of restrictions from law enforcement. I believe that once you are convicted as a sex offender, unless new evidence comes around to support the fact that you are innocent, you belong on the registry until you are old and no longer a risk to those around you. I feel for people who are deeply affected by what is going on around them, and I hope these men who have done wrong are left on the registry.


Synthesis:
Rape of Lanah Sawyer in 1793. This can be related to my current event because this verdict also puts victims in danger. Before Lanah Sawyer's case, women were almost often believed when they claimed they were raped because men thought they would not be bold enough to lie. After this case came to light, women were painted as a sexual being and something that could actually tempt men outside of wedlock. Women were blamed for being raped more frequently. This put women in danger because they could be raped without being believed and allowed for a larger window of opportunity for rapists, much like my current event.






 http://www.wbng.com/home/Level-one-sex-offenders-start-to-come-off-NYS-sex-offender-registry-after-20-years-370030041.html?m=y&smobile=y https://www.change.org/p/new-york-state-house-stop-thousands-of-sex-offenders-from-coming-off-the-nys-sex-offender-registry