WI - Sex offender registry restrictions not working

Original Article

11/04/2013

By Shana Rowan

The Sheboygan Press Nov. 2 article on Sheboygan’s sex offender ordinance did an excellent job of examining residency laws from various perspectives. As an advocate for evidence-based sex offender policies and fiance to a registrant whose crime was committed as a minor, I applaud the paper’s integrity.

As discussed in the article, years of research on residency restrictions have found no evidence that they reduce sexual recidivism or prevent new crimes. At best, Sheboygan's ordinance has done nothing to influence recidivism one way or another. At worst, however, it has been counter-productive to public safety. The ordinance does not target those who pose the most risk to commit child sexual abuse (95 percent of all child victims are abused by a family member, friend or acquaintance.)

It also doesn't target registrants who cannot find housing due to the ordinance, and have violated it by not reporting an accurate address, or have become homeless or transient. Law enforcement, departments of correction, treatment providers to both victims and offenders, and public policy researchers have all denounced residency laws as well-intentioned but detrimental to society.

Why do city council members believe they somehow know better? Research on sex offender laws is extremely accessible and the public must begin educating itself rather than relying on lawmakers to deliver the truth, since “it’s working” is clearly a subjective assessment.

Shana Rowan

Executive Director

USA Families Advocating an Intelligent Registry, Inc.

IL - USA FAIR Has Big Impact at ATSA Conference

Shana Rowan with ATSA's Jim Brandt

Original Article

11/04/2013

By Shana Rowan

For the first time, USA FAIR was an exhibitor at the ATSA Annual Conference held this year in Chicago from October 30th through November 2nd. This is the largest annual gathering of people involved in sex offender treatment and management.

I am pleased to report that the reception we received was fantastic. So many people visited our table that I had to order reprints of our hand-out materials! The conference participants were genuinely excited to see that family members of registrants were showing up to become a part of the fight for reasoned based laws.

Many attendees asked how they could get involved to work with us and indicated that they would refer their clients to us. Several state chapter representatives of ATSA expressed a desire to strategize with us on how to achieve reform and asked about USA FAIR giving presentations before their chapters.

I was joined by a strong team of reformers, including Gail Colletta and Barbra McClamma of Florida Action Committee.

None of this would have happened, of course, without the generous donations of USA FAIR members.

Halloween Sex Offender Hysteria Pure Horror Fiction

Original Article

10/28/2013

Focus should be on documented dangers, not myths

In the midst of nationwide coverage on Halloween safety tips, those who study sex offender laws are frustrated with what they call “a myth-based approach” on the supposed dangers posed by registered former sex offenders to trick-or-treaters on Halloween night.

Many places have enacted bans and special requirements targeting former sex offenders. The laws vary from prohibiting registrants from decorating their homes or wearing costumes, to placing police-issued warning signs on their doors, to keeping all house lights off until 12 AM November 1.

Halloween Crime Statistics

“We agree that parents and children alike should exercise caution and be vigilant to potential threats on Halloween, just like any other day,” said Shana Rowan, Executive Director of USA Families Advocating an Intelligent Registry, a group founded by family members of sex offenders and promoting evidence-based policies. “However, disproportionate focus on sex offenders is unfounded. There is not a single record of a child being sexually abused by a registrant by means of a Halloween ritual, however other risks such as vehicle-pedestrian accidents are highly elevated on Halloween. In fact, Dr. Jill Levenson of Lynn University in Florida found in her 2009 study, “How Safe are Trick or Treaters?” that child sex abuse by a stranger accounted for less than 0.2% of all Halloween crimes, but theft, property damage, and assault were markedly higher than other days of the year.”

Ms. Rowan emphasized that most former sex offenders have families and children of their own, another reason she says Halloween laws increase the chance of violence on the offender’s family members. “Given the propensity for property and violent crimes on Halloween night, I can speak for many family members with a loved one on the registry when I say that we genuinely fear for our safety in our own homes.”

To help illustrate just how unlikely it is that a child will be victimized by a sex offender on Halloween, Ms. Rowan created the following graph using data from Dr. Levenson’s report (PDF).