Registry Issues

The Registry has become a useless list of names that the public can no longer use to decipher between those who pose a true threat to society and from those who have been arbitrarily swept up in this legislative predator hysteria. Dilution is not the solution.

Multiple crimes of varying degrees are now “registerable” offenses.

– Smacking or grabbing someone on the buttocks, groin or chest is a registerable offense
– Consensual sex between a 19 year old and a 17 year old or an 18 year old and a 16 year old is a registerable offense
– Sexting, between juveniles as well Sexting between a juvenile and any 18, 19 or 20 year old boyfriend or girlfriend results in a registerable offense
– Urination in public (behind that bush or tree or while fishing, hunting, or camping),
– Those who have committed no sexual crime and even innocent citizens are listed on the registry.
– In many states an accusation alone is sufficient to convict, no physical evidence, no witnesses, no specific dates or times must be given, just claim it and it’s done
– Public urinators, streakers and mooners that were convicted in other States and placed on their registry, will be listed on the New Jersey‘s registry when they relocate here
– This is where the New Jersey Sex Offender Registry has gone wrong and deviated from any legitimate attempt to reduce crime.

There is a large difference between stealing a newspaper and robbing a bank, these crimes are considered theft, but both are separated by law and society; thus the penalties are proportionately different from one another. The law is already forward-looking in some respects: consider the leniency afforded a crime of passion versus a premeditated murder. Those who commit the former are less likely to recidivate than those who commit the latter, and their sentences sensibly reflect that. When it comes to sex offenders the punishment does not fit the crime, as it should. The current laws stigmatize someone as a “sex offender” or “sexual predator” in the United States and in New Jersey do not distinguish the differences in offenses like consenting teenagers and serial rapists. Once listed, all are considered to be “perverts”, “pedophiles” and “predators” and just as dangerous as Phillip Garrido, Anthony Sowell and John Gardner for life.

Current laws, as structured, are not keeping our children safe. They are, in fact, costing the taxpayer millions of dollars to prosecute, monitor, incarcerate, and severely punish many individuals who are of no danger to children, society, or the communities in which they live. We believe that laws which will truly benefit the safety of our children and society in general must differentiate between those who are dangerous offenders and those who are not.

According to the NJ DOC Study done by Rutgers University, Megan’s Law and The Registry:

 Megan’s Law has no effect on community tenure (i.e., time to first re-arrest).
 Megan’s Law showed no demonstrable effect in reducing sexual re-offenses.
 Megan’s Law has no effect on the type of sexual re-offense or first time sexual offense (still largely child molestation/incest).
 Megan’s Law has no effect on reducing the number of victims involved in sexual offenses
 Given the lack of demonstrated effect of Megan’s Law on sexual offenses, the growing costs may not be justifiable

We have a number of Registry Issues that we need to face in the future, other than eliminating how many people are on The Registry: Ensure that the employer/company name are never included in the public view as it serves no purpose other than to intimidate and influence the employer. Remove non-violent offenders from the public New Jersey registry. Remove all young adults with consensual offenses from the registry (Adam Walsh Act would force anyone 14 years old or older who is convicted of a sex offense to be places on The Registry. Completely remove or ensure that no juveniles are on the public registries. Make it illegal to post unofficial registries, as this is just a form of cyberbullying.