Welcome to our board and I am happy that you are released from prison.

One cardinal rule is to stay out of the Bible Belt states. If you are not sure what area the Bible Belt is, here is a rough idea. Draw a line from Missouri down south to the Texas-Mexico border, which is roughly 1,000 miles. Now extend that one thousand mile swath from Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas east to the east coast. You should now have an area about 1,000 miles wide----from Missouri to Texas----and 1,100 miles long from Western Missouri to the east coast of North Caroline. Each state within that region is very difficult for sex offenders.

The Bible Belt includes all the Southern states. Florida is especially toxic to offenders as is Missouri, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Tennessee. Some of the people who live in one of these Bible Belt states can chime in and explain their experiences. Arkansas is absolutely terrible.

Texas is better than Oklahoma and Kansas is not too bad. Missouri is atrocious.

I have heard that South Carolina is not too bad.

You must also stay away from the states in the MidWest------Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, Iowa, Wisconsin, etc. They also have some restrictive laws. California is also not a good place. I am not sure about Nebraska, but we have a couple of people living there that can help.

You might ask, "Where does that leave me to relocate?"

Utah is not bad, and I think Colorado and New Mexico are fairly decent. The states in the Northwestern and the Northeastern regions of the United States are the more progressive states and usually the better states for sex offenders.

I think Oregon is pretty darn good.

I think Montana and the Dakotas are decent.

We have a lot of members from Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and other states in that region. They can comment on their experiences.

One of the problems a registrant can run in to if they choose to reside in one of these bad states is this-----each year the lawmakers tend to try to outdo themselves with more and more sex offender regulations and laws, and many of those laws will be retroactive. This will affect ALL offenders, even those who were convicted before the new law was enacted. This causes a registrant to literally sweat blood at the beginning of every legislative session each year as any law they might pass with affect everyone on the registry including himself.

Hope this helps you in your effort to find a decent place to live.

rewdiazepam

PS BTW, leaving Georgia might be a good idea.

im in wv it dont seem to be too bad just live in one of the many small towns i never had any problems with any one any ways

Nebraska isn't too bad. I've heard that Iowa isn't too bad, either (though I would wait to move there until February, after the presidential candidates have moved on.)

I'm the one who always brings up SORNA. If you aren't lifetime, then make sure that crossing state lines isn't going to make your situation worse! Please let me know if you have any questions about this, I've recently learned quite a bit about it. Also, I'm in NC if you have any questions about that state.

Texas isn't bad depending on the county you're in. I strongly advise researching counties if you want to try Texas.

We're in Texas and the county we reside in and a couple surrounding us are pretty easy. There are a few others I wouldn't live in if my life depended on it.

Arizona I've heard is pretty harsh.

I concur with Illinois and Michigan being bad. I have friends that live in those states.

Just another……I am not exactly understanding SORNA and could use some insight. What does it do for someone who IS on lifetime registration? We are in California and he is NOT on the public registry but still has to register for life. Any advice for moving elsewhere after probation?

Mtbfan, Is he eligible for a certification of rehabilitation? If he's eligible, and awarded, he will no longer have to register.

As far as moving, he will always have to register for life, as he is required to register for life in CA.

Does every state have the poblipc online registry that shows addresses and photos? My son is just 4 months in jail for this, and I'm so scared for the future. We are in Montana which is pretty much known as a live and let live state but there's still the struggle of finding a place to live later and a job.

Let me attempt to clarify this SORNA situation as I understand it.

Sex offenders have a state requirement to register with local law enforcement in the state they reside. SORNA also requires sex offenders to register and keep their registration current. So you have two different sets of laws that require a registrant to register. In the link below, you will find this text----" Requires registered sex offenders to register and keep their registration current in each jurisdiction in which they reside, work, or go to school."

http://tinyurl.com/ze56gag

The problem then becomes that while there is a sheriff's office or a PD to register with the state, there is no place designated for a registrant to register federally. As long as there is a state obligation to register, the feds allow the state to do all the paperwork and enforce the registry. See the paragraph below.

Even though SORNA states that every registrant also has a federal requirement to register as well as the state requirement, SORNA more or less allows each individual state or jurisdiction to enforce the registration. But, there clearly is a responsibility for a registrant to register under SORNA even if the state did not adopt SORNA.

In the link below, if you read far enough, you will see this text-----" Failure by states to implement SORNA does not relieve individuals subject to act of their obligation to register under SORNA."

http://tinyurl.com/zzxv9ct

The feds are not likely to bother a registrant as long as that registrant is required to register in their state.

The big problem is when a registrant is removed from the registry of the state he resides. You would think that removal would be absolute and you could do anything you want or move anywhere, but that is not the case.

If a registrant is completely removed from the registry in his state, he had better stay put and never move across state lines. Moving across state lines would be an engagement in interstate commerce and then the registrant would be subject to a federal requirement to register.

See the link below. The appellate attorney from Oklahoma who won the Starkey case in 2013 addresses this situation. In the link below, read question #5 in the white text. The text states-------

5. Does the Federal Law Apply to me?

""As of July 1, 2013, the State of Oklahoma has not adopted the Federal Sex Offender Registration Act. HOWEVER, if you have been convicted of a listed crime and you travel in interstate commerce, you have made yourself subject to a Federal requirement to register.""

http://tinyurl.com/lr9fnun

So if anyone is removed from a state registry, he or she had better stay put. Moving to another state would cause a federal requirement to register. But as long as anyone is under the control of the state registration requirements, SORNA is not a problem UNLESS they want to move to another state as JustAnotherNobody mentions. Then their registration requirements could be enhanced.

Regarding the "Certification of Rehabilitation" in California, as Thought mentioned. If an offender in California is removed from the registry through this method, it does not erase his crime, but does relieve him of the duty to register in CALIFORNIA. But, if the person removed ever establishes residence in another state, which will entail him engaging in interstate commerce, then he would have to register in the state to which he moved.

If he did not register in the new state, he might have United States Marshalls on his doorstep some evening wondering why he did not register in the new state.

I wrote this up superfast, so if anyone sees any mistakes, let me know. I certainly want accurate information to be available to all the members here on the forum.

rewdiazepam

abrokenmom,

No, every state does not require all offenders to be placed on the public registry.

Unfortunately, Montana appears to require each offender's information to be made public.

http://tinyurl.com/mfq44ep

"" Community notification is conducted by local law enforcement agencies. It is discretionary for all sex offenders. The names and addresses for all registrants are public information.""

Here is a couple more links that are more specific-----Look under "Public Dissemination" and "Photo Availability."

http://tinyurl.com/js5hyql

Hope this answers a few questions.

rewdiazepam

Rew explained SORNA pretty well. The lawyer also mentioned that a state's requirements can be more strict than federal guidelines, but not less strict. SORNA was enacted to keep us from moving to a jurisdiction that would be "easier" on us. In my case, I was going to move to Vermont because there are many fewer restrictions in that state. However, if I cross state lines and engage in interstate commerce, then I must follow federal guidelines - regardless of the rules in the state I was moving to. The lawyer also said that it is up to us to figure out if we're compliant or not - in my case, figure out what tier I would be on the federal system regardless of what North Carolina has me classified as. Does that make sense?

So no matter what your technically on the registery for life even if you no longer have to register in your state once you move your forced to register well ain't that just great looks like I'm stuck in Utah then

If you are completely removed from your state registry and no longer have to register, you are fine if you never cross state lines and engage in interstate commerce. But once you move to another state you have engaged in interstate commerce and the federal requirement---SORNA--- to register kicks in.

Therefore, I tell registrants who have been removed from the state registry to just stay put and never move to another state. Doing so will make you subject to a federal requirement to register and you will have to start registering all over again in the new state.

rewdiazepam

Right near Montana is North Dakota - not sure about the registry but I do know they have no living restrictions and are on a tier system (not great I know but better than absolute lifetime for everyone)

Minnesota only puts on tier 3 people on the public registry, the others are on lists only available to LE and by request I think.

Of all the states I have researched myself MN and NM have sounded the most reasonable. most others have their quirks.