I am a 39 yrs old male, happily married with a 16 months old daughter. I have been on the SO registry for over 13 yrs. In 1992, at the age of 18, I was convicted of sexual assault on a 17 yrs old girl and was given 5 years’ prison time which I successfully completed in April of 1997. Since being on the registry I was denied employment and my mail box was vandalized; I face stigma and shame when I go to renew my driver license annually, and the license fee, I have to pay annually. I make in person reports to the local sheriff on certain days of the year annually and have uncertain requirements of registration and the fear of arrests if I took my family on interstate travel for vacation.
I fear being arrested if I take my daughter to any prohibited parks or prohibited areas, for I am aware of the never ending added restrictions on parks, movie theaters, bowling area, beaches…etc in a number of states. For that reason, we don’t take travel-vacations outside the state of Texas at all. The constant fear of arrests and imprisoned if I forgot to report on the required dates. The fear of vigilants on my family from people aware my photo and address on the SO website. The compliant checks by polices to registrant house twice or once yearly. During one night at or around 12:20 am, there was loud bangings at my door by police, we opened our door and was greeted by police, they stated they were doing compliant check. This loud bangings at midnight on my door scare my wife and I to death. I was supposed to be on registry for 10 yrs but was later extended to life time because of the new laws. Thanks to the retroactive law! I have made a bad choice in the past, but I have move on and have a family of my own. If the goal of congress is to deter registrant from rehablitate and having a normal life and inflict mental anguish and poverty on registrants and their families, they have achieved that goal and far beyond! For all that I and my family have endured, how can law makers believe that the registry is not punishment and merely a civil regulatory policy? And why do we not have registry for all other violent offenders?
Incredible points. Great arguments. Keep up the amazing effort.
I agree with you. I think that if people helped the ones that have complied with everything and anything, then something could change.
“Prayer changes everything.”
I have been registering for over 6 years now, and most of that time was in Texas. I have since moved to Alaska where I register by mail, 4 times a year. I for one know how Texas enslaves its own. It costs something like $29,000 a year to house one inmate for a year, I am completely disabled and on SSI and receive $9000 a year to live on in Texas($13200 in Alaska with adult public assistance). It is hard to make that money enough.
Hey how hard was it to move? can u go fishing up there?
The only thing that matters to law makers is their paychecks and enough votes to keep them in office and making more and more laws. They don’t care about our rights or families. The regestry is only to harm us not help society that’s 100% truth. Or I should say help society hurt us.
Well, thank John Walsh and his never ending chance to throw HIS son’s name Adam Walsh out there.
He is the reason we have all this, AND your right it is not to help the public IT is to continue the punishment upon us.
You, see no matter how they word it or how they spin it, its all for their enjoyment of inflicting pain whether it be physical or mental upon a SO.
LOOK at the facts, John Walsh is so torn up with PAIN at losing his son, that it is so great he can say he wants SO’s punished “”BUT”” what hes really saying between the lines is HEY since me and my family have and are suffering THEN not just you but your family will suffer just like mine.
AND since its a life time of pain SO WHAT your family will be sentenced to that LIFE time of pain just like me.
Now, I don’t know how true it is but, I read some where that John Walsh himself was addicted to sex, and porn. AND that’s how I got started. And in my opinion, someone should take a close look at him as there might be something else going on there as I believe and it is a proven fact that when someone is subjected to the same thing over and over again.
Then, they do develop a liking, craving, or addiction.
I’m just saying in my opinion you never know.