Most would agree that requiring those convicted of molesting and abusing young children to register with local authorities has resulted in safer communities. Likewise, laws dictating where convicted child molesters may live and work have likely prevented numerous crimes against children. That being the case, some would argue that tighter regulation and stricter laws would yield even better results. But the truth of the matter is that the sex offender laws in Florida and other states go much further than just punishing those who have been deemed the most dangerous offenders.
Movement to reform sex offender laws in the United States
Miami Dade County Sexual Offender & Predator Search
Constitutionality of sex offender registries in the United States. The movement to reform sex offender laws in the United States describes the efforts of individuals and organizations to change state laws requiring Sex offender registries in the United States. Efforts fall into two main categories, advocacy for reform of statutory rape laws that may require a teenager to register as a sex offender for consensual sexual acts involving a younger teen, [1] [2] [3] and broader efforts to modify sex offender registration laws based upon their sometimes dramatic impact on a convicted sex offender and belief that they provide little benefit for public safety. The reform movement involves more than 50 state level organizations, with at least one group operating in each state. The participants in the movement argue that indiscriminate placement of offenders in the sex offender registry may undermine their ability to rehabilitate because of the social stigma and other hardship related to sex offender registration. A primary argument for the reform of sex offender laws is that sex offender registration inherently encourages vigilante action by those who use sex offender lists to locate, harass, attack, and even murder registered sex offenders. Even though law enforcement officials strongly condemn using the sex offender registries for the purposes of harm and harassment, dozens of recorded cases occur each year of crimes against registered offenders.
Miracle Village is the nickname of a community on Muck City Road, about three miles east of Pahokee, Florida , that serves as a haven for registered sex offenders. In , the name was officially changed to City of Refuge, but it is still generally referred to as Miracle Village. The site was chosen because of its isolation; given that, the sex offender residence restrictions do not apply.
This information is made available to interested citizens to help them educate themselves about the possible presence of such offenders in their local communities. The placement of information about an offender in this database is not intended to indicate that any judgment has been made about the level of risk a particular offender may present to others. This information is made available to assist interested persons in forming their own risk assessments based on the offender's personal circumstances and conviction history.