Registered sex offenders’ experiences a number of integration challenges due to their designation that include limited access to employment, education, and housing, together with community harassment and segregation that could augment their risk for being involved in additional crimes that include subsequent sex crimes. Sex offenders face great challenge in accessing education following the enactment of Campus Sex Crimes Prevention Act. This act demanded that all higher institutions of learning should monitor all sex offenders registered in their institutions. This pushed most institution in employing extra admissions restriction for registered sex offenders. This makes it hard for the registered offenders to get an opportunity to study or to benefit from study scholarships despites of their ability in school (Walker et al., n.d).
Read also Recidivism of Juvenile Sex Offenders – Research Proposal
It is also quite challenging for an individual with criminal history to acquire a job. This becomes even harder for a well-known sex offender. The fact that the law demand that the employer information should be added as a part of community notification makes it even harder for registered offender to get a job since no employer want to be openly associated with them. This is not regarded good image for a business and thus, registered sex offenders have been experiencing a hard time earning a living an aspect that pushes them into being involved in other crimes to survive (Velazquez, 2008).
Read also Megan’s Law Of Sex Offenders
Sex offender registration experiences different forms of prejudice from the society. This include community segregation, ostracism, and vigilantism. Although the Megan Law claims that registry cannot be employed to harass or threaten registered sex offenders, this has happened quite frequently. This increases to their psychological stress and instability. The feeling of loneliness, rejection, threats and harassment may highly affect their well-being and their social life in general. This may make it hard to have a genuine sexual partner even if they are changed. In this regard, they may be compelled to repeat their initial mistakes or to commit any other crime as a result to psychological related problem or with intention of being send back to prison where they can freely relate with other inmates. Thus, this law has not in any way promoted the integration of registered sex offenders in the society. It has actually made it hard for the society to accept them and promoted their segregation and prejudice. This situation increases the chances for their recidivism (Bonnar-Kidd, 2010).
Alternative to Current Sex Offender Legislation
Justice system is designed to assist in correcting offenders’ behaviors and reintegrating them in the society. However, the current law does not assist in offenders’ correction and integration but in destroying any integration possibility. In this regard, registration law need to be changed or scrapped off. The two alternatives that can serve in this case is employment of a special sex-offenders correction system where they will be taken through a counseling session and evaluation to ensure that they are able to take sex as a social act that requires respect and consent. They should then be integrated slowly in the society after they are ascertained that they are in a position of integrating with the society again. The probation officer should monitor their moves for a period of 5 years after which they should be allowed to live normally in the society.
Read also Sex Offender Typologies – Child Sexual Abusers And Internet offenders
The other alternative is allowing for registration but eliminating the aspect of community notification. The registration will promote offenders monitoring by the right officials. However, it will not give this information to the society as a way of preventing prejudice and other antisocial behaviors. Those offenders released to the society should be effectively evaluated to ensure that they do not have a higher chance for reoffending. This will ease their integration in the society and also they will get an opportunity to live a normal life. It will also eliminate the current difficulties of getting a job or having a normal social life. It will also serve the initial monitoring purpose and thus, the alternative will provide the ex-offenders to live their life after correction and provide the justice system to monitor the offenders moves and get hold of him or her in case they recidivate.
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