Why the U.S. Marshals Spend Millions on Sex-Offense Registrant Sweeps The real aim of these operations might be to boost support for cops. Steven Yoder
Federal Judge Blocks Michigan From Enforcing State’s Sex Offender Registry ‘Until COVID-19 Crisis Has Ended’ Michigan was one of several states requiring registrants to report to local police stations in person despite the risk to public health from coronavirus. Dawn R. Wolfe
Sex Offender Registry Requirements Leave Some Facing Stark Choices As Coronavirus Risks Grow Inconsistent rules nationwide mean some people are still registering and reporting in person despite public health directives meant to control COVID-19. Dawn R. Wolfe
In A Florida County, Sex Workers Are Ensnared In ‘Trafficking’ Raids Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister’s stings, conducted under the guise of targeting human trafficking, netted the largest number of arrests there since 2008. Sex workers say the operations put them at risk. Molly Minta
Five Cases Could Significantly Reform Pennsylvania’s Sex Offense Registry. The State’s Attorney General Is Pushing Back. Josh Shapiro has warned that changing the state’s sex offense registry requirements threatens public safety. But experts say his fears are unfounded and the registry provides little to no public safety benefit. Joshua Vaughn
Wisconsin Came Close To Changing A Rule That Often Leaves People On Sex Offense Registries Homeless Republicans are leading an effort to get rid of blanket restrictions on where some people with sex-offense records can live. A Democratic governor is blocking them. Steven Yoder
Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg
The Appeal Podcast: The Rise of Registries With Appeal contributor Guy Hamilton-Smith and Elizabeth Letourneau of the Moore Center for the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Adam H. Johnson
Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg
In Pennsylvania, a Kidnapping Law Could Unravel a Life A Shippensburg man faces 15 years on the sex offense registry for offering a girl a ride. Joshua Vaughn
New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder
Simon Liu Isn’t A Sex Offender. But He’s Still on the Registry For Life. California’s expansive registry law forces people to pay for crimes they didn’t personally commit. Kyle C. Barry
The Push to End ‘Punishment Fever’ Against People With HIV Advocates say laws that land people with HIV on the sex offender registry are outdated and dangerous. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg
Florida’s Sex Offender Registry Proves Inescapable Critics say the state's policy of keeping non-residents registered bloats the list—and harms public safety. Steven Yoder
When Stealing Legos Adds To A Lifetime of Consequences A petition argues that people seeking to escape the sex offender registry, including those put on it as children, deserve more than a single shot. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg
Black Men Disproportionately Represented On Sex Offender Registries Even though it’s unlikely that they commit sexual assault at higher rates than other ethnic or racial groups, nearly one of every 100 Black men is on a sex offender registry, a rate double that of white men. Debbie Nathan
When Handing Out Candy To Trick-or-Treaters Means Risking Arrest Lawyer seeks end to Halloween restrictions that target people convicted of sex offenses. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg
The Endless Punishment of Civil Commitment Prosecutors can subject those convicted of sexual offenses—and sometimes, those with no conviction at all—to an indefinite period of civil punishment at the end of their criminal sentence. Guy Hamilton-Smith
Case Of Intellectually Disabled Teen Falsely Accused of Sex Offense Reveals Registry Flaws Before Edgar Coker was exonerated in a rape case, he underwent therapy meant to prevent sexual reoffenses. Thousands of kids involved in sexual offenses are forced into therapies like “relapse prevention” that experts say are ineffective. Joseph Darius Jaafari
Failure-to-Comply Arrests Reveal Flaws in Sex Offender Registries In one Pennsylvania county, more than three times as many people on the registry were charged in 2016 with failing to follow registry requirements than were charged with a new sexual offense Joshua Vaughn
Expert: Crime registries turn people into pariahs with ‘very little to lose’ New types of registries are being created around the country, despite research showing they don’t work. Jessica Pishko
Why Sex Offender Registries Keep Growing Even as Sexual Violence Rates Fall Lists that include out-of-state visitors are inflating the numbers and keeping fear at a boil. Steven Yoder
High Schooler Faced 25 Years on the Sex Offender Registry–For Engaging In Oral Sex At a Pennsylvania school, an 18-year-old female student was arrested for a consensual sexual act with a 16-year-old boy. Joshua Vaughn
Sex Registries as Modern-Day Witch Pyres: Why Criminal Justice Reform Advocates Need to Address the Treatment of People on the Sex Offender Registry Guy Hamilton-Smith
We’re Putting Sex Offender Stamps on Passports. Here’s Why It Won’t Curb Sex Tourism & Trafficking. Guy Hamilton-Smith
