I'm with you. My son is being accused of sexual molestation, and it just breaks my heart to think that his life is ruined and will always be labeled and watched. I was once wrongly accused of a domestic abuse charge, and it devastated me. Every time I would look for a job it would hurt my chances. Certainly these kids have made mistakes, but do we really need to make it a lifetime err or something that may ultimately lead to suicide of these young people, I think not.

my son as well Nako - I have hope that someday this will all be dissolved. It just cannot go on the way it is - it is a faulty system and therefore unstable. This ruling bringing to light that the registry as it stands is punitive is a good thing because to punish these folks for life is certainly cruel and unusual punishment. Remember they are not sentenced to life in prison like a murderer - they are sentenced and then given probation or parole and then when all of that is complete they are still punished for the rest of their life - it just cannot last forever.

Things will eventually change as more of the truth will keep coming out about the registry. I've been on this registry since 2002 and it gets harder every year. I can't imagine legislators making laws that affect families so much that just being a family becomes difficult.

My son didn't even do anything. He accidentally downloaded cp that he never looked at. At least if he did something then I wouldn't be so pissed off about it. But to label him for some BS and he never did a thing? He has to constantly watch out, because the least little thing, like someone accusing him of something else and he goes back to prison. For what? He gets out in January and the 15 years probation is bad enough. He still thinks we can do something to fix it, but there's nothing. We're hoping he can move out of the country but now they want to take away his right to a passport. He's trapped in a life where he has to constantly watch his back and live in fear.

I am hoping that the laws will change for the better for you guys then maybe other places will go oh wait the USA isn't doing this why are we........ These laws affect whole familys people need to see this I think.

Nako, I'm so sorry that he has to go through all that. i pray everyday for things to change

I tell people to NEVER give up HOPE.

Two years ago nobody in Oklahoma had ever heard of Mr. Starkey and then bam, he files a law suit against the DOC that turned things around for many of us.

In Oklahoma each legislative session saw more and more legislators wanting to "get tough on sex offenders" and they passed law after law that affected those on the registry. But they overplayed their hand and passed too many laws, which made the court rule that it was punitive in nature so the retroactive situaiton could kick in.

What happened in Oklahoma could happen in other states, even Florida. These law makers could just keep piling on law after law and at some point it would no longer be seen as a civil scheme, but a punitive one, which would help the SOs and registrants in that state.

I have learned, YOU JUST NEVER KNOW what might happen.

We just need to all stick together as one, unite as a group, and keep the faith.

rewdiazepam

I agree with the never give up, The hope part can be a danger because you are hoping our elected officials would do the right thing and allow people to get off the registry, they will never do this until enough people demand it.

Now this is where people need to stick together, support our state groups and help lobby.

Dissatisfaction is the mother of change, and only change can drive improvement.

Change is what is needed but for the ones that are still on paper not much can be done at this point, most will have to ride out their probation but in the mean time they could really help with the fight and the goal should be to get off the registry.

Think about it. Do people on the registry have low self esteem or no confidence? Where does this come from, is it made worst by the system? Sometimes lack of confidence is actually the means to a solution.

When you accept your weak points, your flaws, and your imperfections then you can motivate yourself to make changes and improve.

Hide from your weaknesses and you'll always be weak. Accept your weaknesses and then work to improve them and you'll eventually be stronger--and more confident.

Quotes that we could live by in this fight.

I think sometimes everyone needs to think, what type of change would make my life and my love ones life better, then you will know what the goal is.

Regards

buildingupslow

buldingupslow is exactly right. We need HOPE but we also need action in the form of participation on
the state level.

I have also been reading about the deregistration program they have in Texas. I have not had time to digest it all, but it could be that other states will at some time implement a similar program and provide a way for lifetime registrants to get off the registry after "x" number of years.

Things change very quickly and unexpectedly sometimes. But we still need to show up in groups in front of the politicians---show up in numbers---to show them we are flesh and blood and real people with real families and not just some statistic. And we need to work for change.

We cannot just sit back and hope the politicians will have a change of heart and start feeling sorry for our plight. That WILL NOT happen. .

rewdiazepam

Unfortunately the RSO here in PA is terrible. I've tried to hook up with the ACLU and they don't do much of anything, even tho they have a lot of members. They have 1 lunch meeting on a Wednesday afternoon somewhere downtown. But they're not active. When I was in Florida I joined the ACLU there and even tho they're active and we started a group to help deal with SO issues the most we ever got was a 4 regular member meeting. The only hope I have.. and it's not something I like... is that so many people will be on this registry in a short time that there will be no choice but to start fighting back. But that might take a long time. My son is only 23. It would be nice if he could enjoy his youth.

my son is 29 and has been in since he was 14 other than approx 1 yr and has been locked up for life their justification for this is that he has ADHD which they say means he can't be rehibilitated because they say he is unable to control his urges--however they haven't given him the chance to find out if he can or not.

OMG!!!!!!!! that is such a travesty of justice!!! I am so sorry Someday we will prevail!! I just know it

In Virginia, the creep who ran for Attorney General…the one who ran on the platform of tough and tougher on sex offenders….well, the race is still on but the other guy is ahead by a couple of hundred votes!!! Of course, there will be a recount so the actual winner will not be declared for several weeks.

Anyway, I call this guy "the creep" because even before he was running for AG, he had pushed for life sentences of sex offenders and was successful on getting that passed for four specific crimes. At the same time, there was a bill that would have allowed sex offenders to have more than 30 minutes to appear at the State Police station if for any reason their email addresses were changed.

Nobody has total control over that, especially if you have a job. And some people live farther away from a State police station. Plus, there can be numerous reasons why someone would not be able to do this within 30 minutes. Makes sense to give people at least a couple of days.

Wrong in this state! As the new bill was being turned down, he laughed. HE LAUGHED!

Pray for the other guy's lead to hold or Virginia will be the new Florida (sorry, people who live in Florida…but we all know….)

Oh Peek I hope it goes the right way! Has the other candidate said how he feels about the SO laws?

that is one of the things they used to violate my son was saying he didn't check-in when he was supposed to--again as u say one place to do that--also that he didn't have a job or a place to live--well hard to get either of those when not only do they post flyers in the "neighborhood" they live in but run it on every TV station in the area that their out and where they r.