What? Right, over 8 million people and the number grows daily.
If you were to stand in a room of 10 adults or so, at least four or more of them are sex offenders. Have you ever attended a family gathering, if so, you were next to a few sex offenders and didn't know it. At the shopping mall, yup, you were shopping with several sex offenders and you didn't know it. The Adam Walsh Act commands us to look at a person TODAY as though they just committed their sex act (crime), even though it may have occurred 5-10-20-30 years ago!
Oh, you say this is crazy! Well, get ready for a reality check.
The Center for Disease Control has just completed its 2011 "Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS)" report. Within that report is a section "Sexual Risk Behavior: HIV, STD, & Teen Pregnancy Prevention" which should cause parents of High School kids, to get a lump in their throats. Here are a few of the findings:
Many young people engage in sexual risk behaviors that can result in unintended health outcomes. For example, among U.S. high school students surveyed in 2011Here we will discuss only the portions coded yellow, if folks want, you can dig into the study more (there is a wealth of other info. esp. on drugs) by clicking on the links which goto the original CDC site.47.4% had ever had sexual intercourseSexual risk behaviors place adolescents at risk for HIV infection, other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), and unintended pregnancy:
33.7% had had sexual intercourse during the previous 3 months, and, of these39.8% did not use a condom the last time they had sex15.3% had had sex with four or more people during their life
76.7% did not use birth control pills or Depo-Provera to prevent pregnancy the last time they had sexAn estimated 8,300 young people aged 13–24 years in the 40 states reporting to CDC had HIV infection in 2009To reduce sexual risk behaviors and related health problems among youth, schools and other youth-serving organizations can help young people adopt lifelong attitudes and behaviors that support their health and well-being—including behaviors that reduce their risk for HIV, other STDs, and unintended pregnancy.
Nearly half of the 19 million new STDs each year are among young people aged 15–24 years3
More than 400,000 teen girls aged 15–19 years gave birth in 2009
How many high school kids are sex offenders:
The above results from the 2011 questionnaire unfortunately the US Census Bureau's most recent High School figures are from 2008, so we will equate to those. 47.4% of 17.2 Million = 8,152,800 in high school have had sex! And, by today's laws they are all criminals, boys and girls alike.
Oh, you says it takes two to tango, and only one can be a victim and the other must be the offender? And, you cannot consent to sex if you are under 16? Great argument, but, in the world of statistics, they all have violated the law. None are exempt even if they are minors. But you say, there are minors on the registry today, how can that be? Humm, allowing for those who are truly violent juvenile offenders, bad lawyering or more likely parents that are upset that their child -in spite of the child's consent and willingness to participate, neither recognized by law- was violated, and the parents wanted revenge. Yup, revenge!
How long has this gone on:
Well the YRBSS report began in the early 1990s but that just means we only have stats to prove what is going on, it doesn't mean it hasn't gone on for many a moon. Reality check, it has, this conduct has gone on since the beginning of time.
Who are the sex offenders:
Early on I mentioned, a room full of adults, a family gathering, and folks you were shopping with, well, all of them went to high school at some point in their lives. Wow, about 47% of society is made up of sex offenders. Hey, that would mean 47% of Lawmakers are really sex offenders! That is why the laws they enact FOCUS on CONVICTED (i.e., court processed, to cover all contexts of convicted) offenders, to keep the focus off the fact that, if revealed, half of the U.S. would tumble and be on a registry; Congress and state Lawmakers included. Congress, in the Adam Walsh Act, allowed the US Attorney General to construe the law, and on 2-28-2007 published -effective immediately- a rule which said:
The Department of Justice is publishing this interim rule to specify that the requirements of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, title I of Public Law 109–248, apply to sex offenders convicted of the offense for which registration is required before the enactment of that Act. (28 CFR Part 72)While most folks will read that differently, it actually EXEMPTS or GRANTS a PASS to all past sex acts committed by parents, grandparents, and so on. Statistically and logically those folks are still sex offenders, they have done something that, if done today would cause them to be registered.
The moral of that story is, you are a sex offender, only if you get caught!
Who are the most dangerous sex offenders:
The Department of Justice, in 2003, published a recidivism study which showed a recidivism rate of 5.3% (over 3 years) for sex offenders released from prison. In that study is this propensity comment: "released sex offenders are four times more likely than other offenders to commit another sex offense."
Sounds bad, but there is something hidden in that propensity comment. Notice "than other offenders," well that means other types of offenders also commit sex offenses when released from prison. Here are the real numbers from that recidivism study:
DOJ pg-24 (Left Column):
"The 15 States in this study released a total of 272,211 prisoners. The 9,691 released sex offenders made up less than 4% of that total. Of the remaining 262,420 non-sex offenders, 3,328 (1.3%) were RE-ARRESTED for a new sex crime within 3-years. By comparison, the 5.3% REARREST rate for the 9,691 released sex offenders was 4-times higher. ..."
| Number Released Prisoners | Offenders | ReArrested for New Sex Offense | New Sex Offenses by Released Prisoners | Pct. of New Sex Offenses |
| 9,691 | Sex Offenders | 5.3% | 517 | 13% |
| 262,420 | Non-Sex Offenders | 1.3% | 3,328 | 87% |
| 272,211 | All Offenders | 1.4% | 3,845 | 100% |
The shocking fact is, that non-sex offenders released commit six times (3,328) the number of sex offenses than do sex offenders released (517). Someone needs to explain, why do Lawmakers IGNORE the harm to society caused by non sex offenders released, and impose burdens only on sex offenders released? Congress has known this, at least since that 2003 study, and they continue to ignore this. Is this called keeping the community safer?
Dangerousness from Another View:
The Adam Walsh Act mandates a tier based classification system of only formerly convicted sex offenders. Effectively it commands the public to look at former sex offenders at the point of their offense, and ignore any rehabilitation that may have taken place since the offense. Somehow that is supposed to show how dangerous former registered offenders are to the community, today? My mind must not work like a Politicians.
However, I find this AWA system very interesting. But I wonder, how dangerous are all those who have been EXEMPTED from AWA's laws, mentioned in this commentary? Remember, high school kids, and those now an adult living in communities today.
Well, the 2003 DOJ study answered that also, on page 36 notice the chart of Victim/Offender Relationship of over 76,000 former sex offenders who were in state prisons in 1997. The DOJ found that 96.5% of the sex offenses were perpetrated by Family, Friends and Acquaintances in the daily lives of the victim. (See chart below for breakdown):
Well, it seems we have come full circle, the real problem comes from folks who ARE NOT registered. Now, if this was the world of drugs we would see all sorts of therapy programs, grants for housing, and all kinds of other money spent to resolve the problem RATHER THAN, simply TRACKING those who have a drug problem.
Why is it that Lawmakers want to spend all of their time and resources on TRACKING FORMER CONVICTED sex offenders, ignoring the traditional programs (see drugs) that are used to resolve such issues, and reduce future victims. TRACKING former sex offenders will not affect the 96.5% who are causing new victims? Remember, the over 400,000 babies born in 2009 and those annually. Lawmakers, time to take the blinders off!
Think about it.
For now have a great day and a better tomorrow.
eAdvocate
