How Much Information is Too Much?

Whenever there is a discussion regarding sentencing the topic of sex offenders cannot be ignored. There have been various methods employed with the attempt to appropriately sentence and punish sex offenders. However, there is a subcategory of conflict and divided opinion between those who consider incarceration most appropriate and those who consider medical treatment most appropriate for sex offenders. The varieties of sentencing options include group and or individual counseling, traditional incarceration, and even chemical and surgical castration. Some places still use varying methods of castration including certain states within the United States and the Czech Republic, who uses surgical castration at the request of prisoners (Mullins, 2009). Although there is a variety of sentencing options, there are mixed reviews about whether any of these methods are effective.

In addition to the sentencing practices mentioned above, many countries have adopted the use of sex offender registries to maintain the whereabouts of sex offenders. The use of this system varies greatly from country to country. For example, the United Kingdom provides an extensive registry called ViSOR, which is a multi-agency collaboration across all regions of the UK (National Policing Improvement Agency, 2010). Canada also has a national sex offender registry that was established by the Sex Offender Information Registration Act, which is a national sex offender database that contains information on convicted sex offenders. This provides police with an essential investigative tool (Public Safety Canada, 2011). Both of these registries are helpful for the countries they serve, however, in some counties the essential information on sex registries can only be accessed by law enforcement officials (Royal Canadian Mounted Police, 2008). However, this is not the case in the United States.

 Unlike those of Canada and the UK, citizens can access the registries of each state in the United States. The online sex offender registry gives the general public access to an array of information including the address of some offenders, the offense, a picture, and full description of the criminal. The motivation for this system began after the murder and rape of 7-year-old Megan Kanka in 1994 (Nevada Department of Public Safety, 2010). The idea is that if citizens are able to know where offenders live in their communities they can be vigilant while avoiding and deterring future sex crimes.

Overall the fact that anyone in the United States can get on the internet and find sex offenders in any area provides a since of awareness. But can access to this information hinder as much as it helps? The instinctive answer is no, however the discussion of sex offenders frequently involves emotion and there is a perception that those on the sex offender registry are mainly child molesters or pedophiles.  Although there are offenders guilty of crimes against children, not all people guilty of a sex offense committed a crime against children. The offenses that force someone to have to register for the rest of their lives vary state-to-state. Having access to this kind of sensitive information can be cause for undue harassment, especially if the information is not presented in a way to avoid misunderstandings. There is a disclaimer of sorts warning citizens not to use the information to discriminate or harass offenders; however bold type words are hardly enough to stop discrimination or in extreme cases, crimes against the offenders.

 While sentencing processes should continue to evolve it is also essential to educate the public. It is essential to educate the public about the different types of sex offenders to prevent any form of discrimination. A possible way to evolve the system is to have separate registries for offenders who commit sexual crimes against children, which is the crime a majority of citizens equate with anyone on the sex offender list, and those who commit other types of sex crimes. Both of the lists would still be available to the public. Education coupled with evolving sentencing procedures can give law enforcement and the community a better sense of security while protecting the rights sex offenders maintain.

 

References

Nevada Department of Public Safety. (2010). Nevada Sex Offender Registry. Retrieved from http://www.nvsexoffenders.gov/sorstart.aspx

National Policing Improvement Agency. (2010). Dangerous Persons Database – ViSOR. Retrieved from http://www.npia.police.uk/en/10510.htm
Public Safety Canada. (2011). National Sex Offender Registry. Retrieved from: http://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/prg/cor/tls/soir-eng.aspxRoyal Canadian Mounted Police. (2008). National Sex Offender Registry. Retrieved from http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/tops-opst/bs-sc/nsor-rnds/prog-eng.htm

Mullins, K.J. (2009, February 11). Czech Republic Uses Surgical Castration on Sex Offenders. Digital Journal. Retrieved from http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/267014

Nieto, Marcus. (2004). Community Treatment and Supervision of Sex Offenders: How It’s Done Across the Country and in California. California State Library – California Research Bureau. Retrieved from http://www.library.ca.gov/crb/04/12/04-012.pdf