I hope there is some help for me out there

I wish I knew. For what I do know, the US notifies any country where a SO is traveling, and those countries in turn reject the SO from entering.

I'm sure it CAN be done, but some countries may be friendlier than others. Good luck!

I'm sure there are some but no guarantee on warm weather or the freedom, Rew would be the one that might give you info on that. But I will recommend that you stay clear of Florida. Being residents of Florida we have had to deal with many harsh SO laws in this state. And if Lauren Book, a child advocate and daughter of lobbyist Ron Book, (Who started the Juliet Tuttle sex offender colony, AKA "Booksville") makes state senate which she is running for things will get much worse. Florida does not have a level for registrants and I would not recommend FloriDUH.

People will fall over when they hear me say this, but, given the overall picture, the United States is a better place than many countries. I am no longer on the registry, but if I was, I would still stay here and make the best of it. There are too many variables and unknowns moving to a different country.

Yes, the legal system stinks and the sex offender registries are unfair, but overall things could easily be worse in another country. You might be trading the fact that you no longer have to register in the new country for the fact that it is a terrible existence there with living conditions out of a horror movie.

The grass is not always greener on the other side.

Let's say you did move to another country where you did not have to deal with the registry. IF you left the United States and left for country "x"-----

First, I am not sure you could do that legally, and who wants to be looking over their shoulder the rest of their life? I served time with a couple of guys who had been on the run for several years and they mentioned the constant fear of being caught was literally crushing and did not allow them to be happy. They were actually relieve when they were caught.

In the US you have your family and your friends; moving to a new country you would have nobody. If you get sick and down, nobody will be there for you. If you need help in any way, there will be nobody there. Some families are very dysfunctional, but they are still there to help us as a last resort if something terrible happens.

In the US, you can go to the ER as a last resort if you become ill; many countries have very poor medical systems. Many countries have very few doctors and the meds available if you become ill are extremely limited, so you better stay healthy. In some countries people die from simple infections as the availability of antibiotics is almost nil.

In the US, you will usually have food and be able to sustain yourself; in many countries, people are starving half to death. Here, as a last resort, you can go to a food bank and in some instances you can get food stamps. I have been to a couple of Asian countries where the children are starving and the daily menu consists of a half a bowl of rice. It is kind of tough see small children with their bellies swollen begging for money and food on the streets.

In the US, you have decent roads and a decent infrastructure; many countries have very poor roads, cars are a luxury, and the price of gasoline is outrageous.

In the US, we have electricity 24/7, a method to heat our house, and ac most of the time; many countries have electricity about 40 percent of the time, use wood to heat the house---if you can find wood---and ac is a rarity. Also, in other countries you might have to deal with much harsher weather than you will in the US.

As American citizens, we have become spoiled and take for granted many of the things which other people are without.

Any country you moved to avoid registration would not likely be a top notch country, but a third world country or a nation bordering on being a third world country. Why? Those are the only types of countries who would not kick you out the first time they found out you were an SO.

In the US, we do have law and order; in many countries, their LE is no LE at all. It is chaotic and you have bands of young people roaming the countryside robbing people. I bitch about LE, but if I ever really needed protection, was robbed, or beaten, I am sure I could go to LE and get some help. Not all those in LE are corrupt of "bad" guys. When I was in prison, the COs addressed me as "Mr.REW" and treated me fairly. Even the couple of times I had contact with the cop on the beat afterwards, they were nothing but professional.

In the US, if you break a law, you do not usually go to prison; some countries will place you in prison without a trial or an attorney. I also had a friend who somehow wound up in a Mexican prison for six months. He said it was an absolute horrific experience; the cells consisted of 30 or so inmates crammed into a very small space, the women were put in the same area as the men---even the same cell----and they even had chickens in the cells. No plumbing, BTW.

In the US, we do still have some freedoms; in many countries, their freedoms are severely limited. Remember, they will not have the United States Constitution to protect you there. We take some of these freedoms from granted, but if we ever lost the Constitution completely this country would be in chaos.

If you left the country, decided you just could not tolerate the new country, where do you go? Better not try to come back to the US or you will surely be arrested.

I could go on and on, but I think I have made my point.

I would just hate for one of my fellow registrants----my friends----to relocate to another country and find out things are deplorable there and much worse overall than in the United States.

I complain about this country of ours probably as much as anyone on this board. I was the product of a false conviction and the justice system is on life support. My problem is that we could do much better in this country; innocent people are made to suffer.

BUT one of the biggest reasons I would never leave this country is this----This happens to be MY country. I was BORN here and my family was/is here. The US is my heritage; I am an American citizen. I am not about to let anyone or anything run me out of MY country. I would much rather stand and fight or find a way to make my situation better.

If I were on the registry and was having a tough time, I would find some land in a rural area, get me a cheap mobile home or something similar, and get as far away from the crazies as possible. Get me a few cats and dogs and just live in peace.

There are many, many things in this country which could be improved and yes, this country, IMO, is in a mess. But it could be worse.

I am not necessarily singing my country's praises, but I am using common sense; it could be worse.

Just think about some of the things I just said before you make any rash decisions.

My two cents anyway.

rewdiazepam

Wow Rew as always I appreciate your as you call it "two cents" when in fact you always make alot of sense. I myself I guess have always seen the nicer countries or at least the nicer part of other countries. I fought for this country we call America and as for "America" I love her. But my government has failed time and time again and I have in my 48 years on this life watched more and more of our regular freedoms go down the drain. Now with all the totally horrific media that we have now day trying to get ratings at ANY cost. They are making everyone look bad. In different ways. It is either "sex offender" "race" or "political affiliation" or even your "religious beliefs" anything you name it for ratings. Then our political leaders democrat, republican, or tea party it don't matter they are not for the people anymore, they are for more control. My idea of another country doesnt entail one of the places you was referring too. I want to better myself. I mentioned a free country. I have been to many free countries while I was in the military in Europe and back in the 80's everyone of them countries was more free than we are today, but of course we was more free than we are today I was in Germany for a long extended time and so many times wished I had just stayed there when I got out of the service. they really didnt have any crime rate, They are more open about the body so there isnt any sex crimes there.

Anyway I could go on and on. Even more important to me than anything is leaving the cold weather and having at bare minimum lax rules and restrictions on the registry. The grass has got to be greener somewhere moreso than here.

Yes I love this country but our government is getting more and more corrupt and pretty soon they will have it to where they can have a penal colony of SO's and the population will allow it because of their fears of us. or the "I dont care it dont affect me" attitude

As for family? Well Rew then you are blessed. Family is something that I lack as well

Many times Rew has something to say that I may not want to hear but every time he says stuff that he can back up with proof or that you know in your gut that he is right and this is one of them times I know in my gut he is right there are countries that are worse off than here and there are the ones that are better than here but unfortunately the ones that are possibly better than here more than likely would say no. So what i need do is find a state that has mostly warm climate and go there until I do finally finish my time on this earth.

Just venting as going through some serious depression right now so Im sorry for bending on everyone's ears

I am patriotic to America, but I am not a "blind patriot." When my government makes mistakes or does something wrong, I raise hell. I raise hell about the sex offender registry, the excessively long sentences, the corruption within our criminal justice system, the favoring the rich, the poor treatment of the middle class, the intolerance toward people not like ourselves and our quasi Police State.

Hell, a lot of things bother me and cause my BP to go up periodically. But this does not mean we have a bad country, just a lousy government with lousier politicians.

Being patriotic and loving your country does NOT mean agreeing with everything it does not does it give rise to the "you are for us or against us" motto that GWB used when people protested against the Iraq War. I was very much against the invasion of Iraq, our continued presence in the MiddleEast, the militarization of LE, the intrusion of our own government with the erosion of our Constitutional rights, the wire taps, etc.

There is so much I almost hate about our government; I still have faith in most people. After all, what is there left without people? I think the people we meet on this board are the true Americans, the salt of the earth. We try to do the right thing. The problem is that there are either not enough of us or we don't yell loud enough.

I love my country, but am so disgusted, disappointed, and angry with my government. The politicians have failed us "normal" people and those who are not wealthy.

fun12u, I understand wanting to find a nicer country. In fact, you said, " My idea of another country doesnt entail one of the places you was referring too. I want to better myself. I mentioned a free country."

A "free" country and a "nicer" country is probably one in which sex offenders are not allowed. That is the problem. You would have to settle for a second class country and I am not sure the advantage you would receive would be worth it.

rewdiazepam

PS For God's sake, for Christ's sake, promise me you won't move to Florida.

BTW, you never have to apologize about venting as venting is healthy and this is a support forum. I am just tickled to death to be able to communicate with folks like yourself.

I've lived outside the U.S. for a majority of my life, in both first world and third world countries and I can tell you Rew is right. It's nothing like you think or see on TV and you are on your own. If you get in trouble there you are in real trouble and your life may be at risk.

I saw more people killed on the street than I did when I spent years in a combat zone. I saw one person shot and left to lay in the street because he stole a light bulb from a church. Shoot outs in the streets are not uncommon. Most businesses have armed guards (even the ice cream shop) who are untrained and will open fire with no regard for bystanders. I've walked down the street and had to dive into a shop to get away from the gunfire. Don't think that the police are on your side...they have no hesitation to shoot you. They are certainly not going to risk their lives to help you. Look for them to show up after the shooting stops.

Don't forget about the poor medical care. I spent several days in a large hospital. The patient next to me on an open ward had active TB. You could go to the bathroom but you had to wade through the sewage to get there. One dentist I knew was so bad even her family members refused to go to her. That's not to say every medical person is bad but finding good ones is work.

Streets are filled with people who have nothing to eat and will beg you nonstop for help. Don't forget the streets also have drug dealers, gang members and other folks you don't want to run into. Did you ever wonder why so many people try to get into the U.S.? Many are trying to save their lives and the lives of their families. For example, in Honduras there are more than 10,000 unsolved murders in any given year.

While I knew many good expats not all of them are there for good reasons. I know people who live and work there so they have easy access to cheap drugs. Others are there because sex is cheap and that's what they are into. Never forget that some of those expats are undercover cops with the DEA and FBI. If one of these is discovered and people learn that you associated with them then you may well have your head cut off. (And yes, this really happens).

You need money and don't think your going to to set your own business up and make money. It's not going to happen. I've seen plenty of Americans lose their shirts. Many of the locals have the attitude, "You have money and I don't so whats the problem?" meaning they have no second thoughts about "borrowing" what you have. Many people will try to sell you their houses at inflated prices to make up for a lifetime of low wages. These places give new meaning to let the buyer beware.

Don't think Europe is any better. Many countries (like (England and Ireland) don't want you there. Few people release just how completely people are tracked in European countries. This means everyone and not just SO's. These countries are expensive and you better have lots of money. Moscow for example is one of the most expensive cities in the world. As an SO countries like Canada and Japan are going to turn you around at the border. You'll never leave the air port.

Many Central American countries require you to leave and reenter periodically. In Belize, you have to leave the country every three months and come back in and pay for a new visa stamp. That's $45.00 for each passport. Many people simply fly back to the U.S. for a week or two but this isn't going to work for you. As an SO Immigration is going to tear you apart at customs. Your bags, cellphone, laptop etc are going to be gone through with a fine tooth comb. You will be locked into an examination room and questioned for hours.

I would like to give you better news but I can't. Yes, if I had the money I would leave again but I have had years of experience living in these places. Even given my experience it doesn't keep me from getting killed by being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

My suggestion is that you find some place in Montana, Utah or some of the other countries that people have talked about here. Get you something in the country and keep a low profile. Above all, write your Senators and Congressmen again and again. Keep up with proposed laws and protest against the bad ones. This is still YOUR country and don't let the stupid fools run you out.

Sorry I meant to say States and not countries in the last paragraph

As tempting as it would be, should I have the wherewithal, to someday become an expatriate, my life is in the United States. As bad as sex offender registry laws are generally, I think the best course is to work to change the laws. That said, I would like the freedom to someday be able to freely travel abroad.

If you have parents or grandparents of Italian heritage, there is a chance if the circumstances are right you can get Italian citizenship through jure sanguinis and move there. There are no registration laws in Italy. Of course you would have to have a way to support yourself or be financially independent.

Other than that, Puerto Rico is probably the least restrictive U.S territory you could live in and they treat you like a real human being. Again you would need a way to support yourself or be financially independent for the most part as jobs in PR are not easy to find. You would of course need to be bilingual to work there, but most people do speak English in PR so just living there is not a problem.

If you are of retirement age or close to and have financial resources this would probably be the best place that is part of the U.S to live. Average temperature year round in the 80's too. Nice... No Snow Ins and getting stuck on the roads..:)

Not sure this will help; however, I am on the registry for life and went to the Philippines in April 2015 to marry my fiancée of 7 years, only to be turned back. I had contacted the Philippines Immigration department to find out if I was black listed from entering. After several attempts, I finally got an email stating I would be allowed in their country. So, I made arrangements with my fiancée to be there for 3 weeks. Upon my arrival I was told I could not enter, then I was put on their black list. As far as Florida goes, we have many homeless registrants here and no where to go. If you know of someone, I would see if you could stay with them. I was convicted in 2/99 and came here in 9/2006. Because I had not committed a crime here in Florida I'm not under any stringent rules; however, I still have to report to their SORNA department twice a year. And yes, they make yearly visits. Your driver's license will have the law stamped on it and you have to register all available vehicles that you can possibly drive. My fiancée and I decided that she should come here to visit; however, even though she met all the Tourist Visa requirements, they denied her the visa under section 214a even though they never looked at any of her supporting documents or knew anything about me. In addition, I did have a 5 hour lay-over in Japan and I was automatically given a visa for stay up to 90 days. Hope this helps.

:) Thank you JNite that is all great information. I do have financial resources I am a disabled veteran Sounds like Italy or Puerto Rico can work for me. I most of all wanted the better weather but least restrictive is great too. Now I need investigate how expensive to get my most prized possessions over there. Thank you very much I need look into both places.

This couple will remain in America and fight for our rights. But for those interested..what I have found it seems our ally country, Israel, accepts registrants with open arms..as long as your Jewish. They have a SOR but its not available to the public.

http://survivorsforjustice.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2624:why-are-sex-offenders-welcomed&catid=2:news&Itemid=57

http://forward.com/sisterhood/320565/what-happens-to-sex-offenders-who-run-to-israel/

fun12u, That sounds great that Italy or Puerto Rico would work out for you. So if you have Italian parents or grandparents this the best site to find out everything you need to see if you qualify, http://italiancitizenship.freeforums.org/

I did qualify as my father was born in the U.S. while his father was still an Italian citizen. I went through the whole process of getting all the documents from Italy related to my grandparents birth and marriage records in addition to my parents birth and marriage records and had a interview at the Italian Consulate in Miami.

One of the main problems people have even if they do qualify is that the names on all the birth and marriage certificates need to match exactly. As some Italian names are somewhat long as we know and all record keeping was of course done by hand during those time frames, there were a lot of different spellings in the documents I had. Because of that my application was put on hold till that could be resolved.

That issue can be taken care of but you need to go to court and get an order saying that your grandparents and parents are who you say they are. That Italian government will then accept that as fact and your application for citizenship will be approved and you will be issued an Italian passport with all the rights of an Italian born citizen.

As far as Puerto Rico goes, there is one law for the entire Island, that is living 500 feet from schools, which is as low as any I have heard of in the states. Some states or counties may have a 500 foot law, but not too many.

Yeah, you get things shipped to PR pretty economically with one of the shipping companies that do that type of thing were you put everything in one big shipping container have it sent over.

The only thing that could be costly is having your car shipped. There is a pretty high tax to have your car sent over if it is a newer car. The shipping cost itself is about $1500, but say for a 2014 car the shipping tax would be close to $5000. One thing PR does to get people to buy on the island. If you have an older car the tax goes down substantially. So it could be cheaper and easier to just sell your car in the states and buy one in PR.

Good Luck in what you decide to do..