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Originally Posted by The_Jazz
The lists exist. That's an indisputable fact. Whether or not they should exist is a semantic arguement at this point. Whether or not sex crimes should result in life imprisonment is a semantic arguement as well since we all know that no state is ready to move in that direction at this point.
The question, as I see it, is what to do if a sex offender moves onto your block or in front of your bus stop. Obviously, the first step is to rachet up your vigilence when it comes to your kids and yourself (whether your male, female or something in between), especially when there is the greatest chance of coming into contact with that individual. Second, educate yourself on what the person did, not only the offense they were convicted of but the actual circumstances of the crime. Obviously, an 18-year old convicted of consensual sex with a 15-year old as a part of a long-term relationship is less of an immediate threat than someone who likes to rape old ladies (especially if you happen to be an old lady). Third, discuss what extra security precautions need to be taken with your family and neighbors.
I'm sure someone will flame me for these statements, since that seems to be the trend in this thread. So, flame away at rational thought.
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How ironic that you, in essence, agree with the steps I'd taken....
I've always been vigilant with my kids' safety,ie; when a single older man bought the house next door, they were told in no uncertain terms to stay out of his house, don't speak to him without one of us present. I'd rather be accused of being a little over the top than to be accused of being indifferent.
At the same time, I gradually taught them how to be alone in the house, starting at age 9, for 15 minutes and, with trust and maturity, increasing that.
That being said, no one is 100% safe at any time and no one is trustworthy 100% of the time. Fallacies are just as much a fact of life as the list, which we all agree is not infallible. The 3 tier system isn't precise enough. The subject of the OP was a tier2(moderate risk)...but what else is? It's been said in the past that by the time someone is caught, he has already committed the crime numerous times; yet, if he's caught, plea bargains and gets out in 3 years, is he not the threat he was before getting caught? I'd say he is, but he'd be a tier2 just because....and he'd be a tier2 possibly with that dumb kid who couldn't control himself with a mature-looking 14 year old.
One thing also that I noticed about the registry-the years of the offenses are given, but not the time served, whether he's paroled or on probation, etc. You get aliases, address, tier rating and the crime(s). Now, granted, there are sites that charge money, but since I didn't pay, I have no idea if they delve further.
I agree that the registry should be a part of the sentence, not a lifetime thing. Keep it clean for 7 years or 10 and you're off the hook. Juvenile offenders should not be required at age 30 to still be registered unless they're repeat offenders. And hell, why are repeat offenders even out?
I'm not a firm believer in a piece of paper or some 'requirement' of law being enough, at any rate. I think it's up to parents and individuals to keep their awareness, their wits and their vigilance to make themselves safer, not rely on something that obviously has so many pitfalls.