Hopefully this will get out to the proper press.
http://www.prlog.org/12074050-reform-al-strongly-opposes-wallaces-segregationist-hb-85-proposal.html
Press Release: ReFORM-AL strongly opposes Wallace’s segregationist HB
85 proposal
Press Release: State
Representatives Wallace, Jones, and Beckman have sponsored a bill (HB 85) that,
if passed, will restrict those forced to register as “sex offenders” to live
500 feet apart from each other and no more than one to a residence or apartment
building. While this idea sounds good on paper, the results have disastrous
consequences that could put families at high risk of harm.
The state of Alabama currently has
a 2000 foot living and work restriction in place; as a consequence, the vast
majority of registered citizens, intent on obeying the law after serving out
their sentences, are forced to live in very small pockets where they are
legally allowed to live and work people will rent to them. The so-called “sex
offender clusters” were created by residency restriction laws. For this reason,
a growing number of states, like Iowa, and municipalities across the United
States have scaled back residency restrictions. Studies in Minnesota and
Colorado have shown residency restrictions not only failed to protect citizens,
they may actually encourage recidivism. Unlike other states, Alabama's state
legislators have decided to exacerbate the problem by creating further
limitations on where those forced to register can live.
If HB 85 passes, thousands of Alabama's
registered citizens will be forced out of their homes, and that instability has
been proven to increase the likelihood of re-offense. When Iowa created their
residency restrictions in 2005, they saw a 350% increase in homelessness, and
increase the failure to register cases, and even a slight increase in sex
crimes in that state in the year following an increase of residency
restrictions. In short, while increasing residency restrictions sound good on
paper, it actually encourages crime.
Those who sponsor this bill claim
that when sex offenders are concentrated in a particular area, this somehow
poses a higher risk. Studies have found the opposite; the 2003 Colorado
Department of Corrections study on residency restrictions found that residency
restrictions had absolutely no impact on recidivism, but a positive living
environment, such as a halfway house or with a supportive family, increases an
offender’s likelihood of living a productive, successful life once their
sentences have been served.
Recidivism among those convicted
of sex crimes are already far lower than comparable crimes; the US Department
of Justice found after three years, only 3.5% were reconvicted of a new sex
crime. Longer-term studies have found recidivism rates are lower than comparable
offenses. Interestingly, in an e-mail from Sen. Wallace, sex offenders were
compared to “crack addicts”, implying that merely forcing them to live a
certain distance away from their “addictions” is a viable solution. In our
society, drug offenses had been increasingly subject to a number of punitive
laws over the years, and only now have we seen the negative impact that many
well-intentioned drug laws have created; in many cases, drug laws had created
an environment that encouraged further drug abuse. We recognize in our society
that drug offenders are now amenable to treatment, and there are no shortages
of halfway houses, treatment options, and support groups for drug offenders. We
are also aware that drug offenders are not limited by geography, nor are all
drug offenders the same.
Sex offenders are not a
homogenous group. Not everyone on the registry will reoffend in spite of the
laws, not because of them. Sex offenses are not a matter of geography, but of
relationships; what person sleeps at night has no impact on what a person does
during the day. While there are a small number of sex offenders who are
“fixated” and resistant to treatment, the majority of sex offenders are indeed
amenable to treatment, and many have also shown remorse for the things they
have done and have no desire to harm anyone.
ReFORM-AL strongly opposes HB 85.
We believe this bill will cause far more harm than good for our society. While
it may be popular to harm those convicted of sexual offenses in every way
possible, our focus should be on doing things that work, rather than things
that simply feel good. This law will ultimately backfire; if passed, expect to
see an increase of homeless registrants, registrants who simply failed to
register, and a possible increase of sex offenses. We are not even addressing
the fact that the vast majority of sex crimes are committed by people with no
prior record (about 95% of sex crime arrests). Thus, we are devoting a large
amount of resources focusing on roughly 5% of the potential threat at best;
only about 5% of that 5% will likely re-offend.
Instead, ReFORM-AL would like to
offer a solution based upon solid research and experience. Residency
restrictions have been proven to be counterproductive; therefore, instead of
passing more restriction laws, the state of Alabama should look at repealing
them altogether in favor of using the meager resources wasted on this bad piece
of legislation on proven methods of education, treatment, and rehabilitation.
There are a number of successful resources proven to greatly reduce the already
low recidivism rates for those convicted of sex crimes, such as restorative
justice programs, circles of support and accountability, and organizations like
Jacob Wetterling Resource Center and Stop It Now!
The state of Alabama is only one
of seven states that do not support treatment programs of any kind. The
sponsors of this bill deny any effective treatment program exists, despite the
evidence given by 43 other states and a number of nations around the world that
treatment programs that stress accountability, empathy, and responsibility are
very effective. This bill, despite the included language that claims an “exception”
for halfway houses, will have no exceptions in practice. In an interview with WTVY
4 Dothan, state Representative Mike Jones stated he was going to propose what
we now call HB 85 in order to prevent a halfway house from forming. Yet State
Representative Wallace claims there will be an exception to the law. Based on
Jones’s words, we can reasonably conclude no halfway house will ever be
approved as the exception.
Instead of promoting the treatment,
rehabilitation, and education programs proven to reduce recidivism, they are
choosing to gamble with the lives of your children bypassing feel-good
legislation proven time and time again to exacerbate the problem of great concern
and our society. Revenge driven laws have proven to make things worse; tough on
crime does not mean smart on crime.
The bottom line is if you truly
care about children, you will also oppose HB 85. Our efforts to reduce sexual
offending in this country should begin with evidence-based education and
awareness programs that stress sexual accountability, responsibility, and open
communication, coupled with services that provide proper treatment for those
who have sexually offended so they at are at least given the opportunity to
atone for their past crimes and become a productive member of society. Doing
this is not “sympathy for sex offenders”, but in investment in ending the
perpetuation of all manners of violence in our great nation.
Derek W. Logue
ReFORM-AL (Registered Former Offender Restoration Movement)
